Shadows of a Dark Mind
by wolverette
Summary: Kristiverse #2. The X-Men are infiltrated by evil mutants hell bent on the team's destruction from within, and Logan and Kristi discover being bonded isn't all plain sailing. As all hell breaks lose, who is leading the opposing team and will all survive?
1. Black to Black

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the X-Men - *sigh* If I did I would be very rich and live in a big house! Wildstar, Blizzard, Blaze and other mutants who will come into the story at a later date are, however, mine so please don't use them without permission.

Hello everyone! Here, as promised, is the first chapter of Shadows of a Dark Mind, sequel to Death By Healing! As before, I wrote this story several years ago, and is now being updated and uploaded for your enjoyment! It was actually written between X-Men and X-2, and when the second film came out I was amazed at the similarity between my first chapter and the Danger Room scene! Great minds obviously think alike! (Perhaps I should apply for a job as a script writer?!)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has set up an Author Alert - I hope this new story lives up to your expectations! If so, please leave a review! Your input means alot to me!

Onwards - the adventure awaits ...... !!

**oooOOOooo**

**Shadows of a Dark Mind**

**1. Black to Black**

The thing was huge, at least as high as a five storey building. Jubilee backed off a couple of steps as the robot advanced down the street, its black metal surface gleaming like obsidian, seeming to absorb all the light around it and leaving the X-Men with the impression that they were standing in near darkness. Frightened civilians fled in terror from its heavy tread and one young police officer had a lucky escape as it battered a car out of its path with a giant fist, the vehicle coming to rest with a crash in the very space the fleeing man had just occupied.

Stepping forward resolutely, Cyclops thrust a fist skywards and the team's flyers – Rogue, Storm and Wildstar – took to the air, taking up three point positions around the robot and awaiting their leader's command. Cyclops spread his arms, keeping the ground team back until he had fully assessed the situation, watching for the right moment to unleash their combined attack. His eyes narrowed behind his ruby quartz visor as the robot stalked steadily nearer, one hand sweeping the air before it, as if grasping for the unwary. The other arm ended in a giant buzz-saw blade. Passive for the moment, Cyclops knew it would not remain so once the flyers made their move. The whole assault would have to be perfectly timed and executed. One wrong move could be fatal.

The familiar 'snikt' of Wolverine unsheathing his claws echoed from somewhere behind and slightly to the right of him. Almost immediately after, he heard a flare of energy and saw red light reflecting off the robot's body as it stomped steadily nearer – Gambit charging his energy missiles. The ground team were getting edgy and he couldn't blame them. Once again, he flung out a hand to keep them back, although this was merely a formality. They wouldn't attack without his command.

The robot stopped, its massive head rotating back and forth as it registered the flyers for the first time. It was now so close that Cyclops could hear the whine of its photo-receptors as they zoomed in and out, scanning the area and committing the X-Men's positions to memory. Cyclops tensed, recognising the moment to strike. It was now or never.

"Storm! Lightening bolt! Now!"

Cyclops stepped back as Storm swept overhead, her black cape billowing out behind her, arms outstretched to deliver a lethal lightening blast. Sparks flashed across its surface as systems inside short circuited and the visored mutant spun to face the ground team.

"Blizzard! Pour on the ice! Quick, man!"

"Sure thing, boss!"

Cyclops barely stepped out of the way in time as a wave of blinding cold came from the hands of the young X-Man called Blizzard. Ice immediately began to build up on the robot's legs, climbing steadily higher with each second. With its legs anchored, all forward motion stopped, and its head tilted downwards to ascertain the cause of the problem.

With the delicate circuitry at the back of its neck now exposed, Cyclops turned to call in the remaining two flyers to join their forces to Storm's for the next stage of the attack.

"Cyclops, the robot! It isn't icing up fast enough!"

Jubilee's sudden shout alerted the team leader to the possibility of danger, just as Storm was flying in for another pass, all her attention directed to delivering another lightening blast. He ran forward, activating his personal comm unit and waving his arms to attract her attention.

"Storm, no! Wait!"

But it was too late. Bringing its rotary blade into play, the robot swept it in a wide arc to catch the unwary flyer. Storm, seeing the huge blade heading straight for her, reacted instinctively, generating a strong wind to take her out of harm's way. Unfortunately, her new trajectory took her straight into Rogue's flight path. Rogue swerved, desperately trying not to hit her team-mate, only to crash headlong into Wildstar, who was just coming up alongside. Both flyers plummeted to the ground, stunned, Rogue taking out a baker's shop on the way down and Wildstar landing heavily on the roof of a red sedan before rolling down the hood to the ground. Both were out for the count.

The robot immediately turned and began stomping towards the two downed mutants, while Storm, having recovered from her uncontrolled flight, rained lightening bolts down on its head from above in an effort to divert its attention. It jerked once, but kept moving, the element of surprise having being lost.

"Dammit, Blizzard, what the hell d'ya think yer doin'? Yer gonna get somebody killed!" Wolverine darted forward, brandishing his claws menacingly. "Jubilee, Gambit, cover me!"

He set off at a run towards the robot, but Cyclops stepped in to intercept him. "Stay back, Wolverine. This wasn't part of the plan."

"Neither was two o' my team-mates getting' stomped by that thing." Wolverine thrust one set of claws dangerously close to Cyclops' face. "Now either shaddup an' help or get the hell outta my way!"

Cyclops didn't need to be told twice. When Wolverine was in his current mood it was best to give in gracefully and count the cost later. He nodded, reluctantly. "Okay. Give it your best shot."

"I intend to." Wolverine darted off, as Jubilee and Gambit moved up to give him the cover he had requested. Jubilee's fireworks and Gambit's kinetically charged missiles harassed the robot, deliberately aiming for the delicate sensors in the head, as it swept its blade through the air in an effort to rid itself of Storm, who was still valiantly trying to impede its relentless forward progress. Cyclops spared Rogue and Wildstar a quick glance as he took up position beside Jubilee. Both flyers looked badly stunned, but Rogue, at least, seemed to be coming around. If he and the others could delay the robot enough, they might buy time for the flyers to recover and get out of harm's way.

Cyclops' optic blast staggered the robot just as Wolverine reached it. He ducked under the grasping hand and went straight for a leg, slashing at it with his lethal blades. Sparks and pieces of metal went flying under the feral mutant's onslaught. A sudden crack and an arc of blue sparks gave evidence that something vital had been severed and the leg shuddered as the robot tried to take another step, internal gears whining with the effort.

Its forward momentum temporarily halted, the robot reacted to this new threat by reaching for Wolverine with its massive hand. Wolverine, however, managed to evade its grasp easily by rolling behind the metal construct to continue his assault on the opposing leg there. His claws were having a devastating effect on the robot's limbs and its stance was becoming more unsteady with each passing second.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cyclops caught a flash of movement and he turned to see Rogue climbing unsteadily to her feet. She paused to check on Wildstar and then tossed Cyclops a thumbs up signal to show they were both okay, before taking to higher ground, carrying her still groggy team-mate. Cyclops nodded to himself in satisfaction. Now, if they could just get themselves back on track, this confrontation might not be such a disaster after all.

Before they could really go to work on the increasingly unsteady robot, he needed to get Wolverine out of harm's way. The feisty Canadian hadn't realised that Rogue and Wildstar were now out of danger and was still going at the robot as though his life depended on it. Cyclops tapped his comm, but before he could call Wolverine back, Blizzard, who had kept a low profile since his earlier mistake, suddenly dashed forward, shouldering between Jubilee and Gambit and interrupting their steady stream of firepower to the robot's head. The young X-Man raised his hands, palms outwards and, with a jolt of alarm, Cyclops suddenly realised what he was planning to do. He started forward, the light behind his visor flaring in intensity.

"Blizzard, no! You'll hit Wolverine!"

The warning came too late. Jubilee screamed as Blizzard unleashed his mutant power. A savage burst of intense cold slammed into the lower half of the robot, covering it with a thick layer of ice within seconds.

"Cripes!" Wolverine flung himself out of harm's way with only inches to spare, his uniform already glittering with a layer of frost. He landed heavily, tucked and rolled, moving quickly to keep out of the robot's reach. But the robot seemed to have anticipated such a move and was ready for him. The moment Wolverine came to his feet, the hand swept down and wrapped around his body. Wolverine grunted as the robot lifted him into the air. With his arms pinned to his sides he was caught tight and couldn't bring his claws into play.

With its prey now firmly within its grasp, the robot began to squeeze. Wolverine braced himself against the fingers, trying to push back and prevent the robot from crushing the life out of him but, pinned as he was, his leverage was limited and he knew he couldn't delay the inevitable for longer than a few minutes. Snarling with the effort it took to brace himself against the slowly closing fingers, he hoped his adamantium skeleton could bear the pressure long enough for the others to mount a rescue. The way their luck was going, he seriously doubted it.

On the ground, the others had ceased their assault on the robot, realising they couldn't continue without hitting Wolverine also. Rogue, having deposited Wildstar on a nearby rooftop where she could recover safely, took off and flew nearer to assess the situation. The robot immediately tried to chase her off, swinging its blade menacingly, but she saw enough to recognise that Wolverine was slowly being squeezed to death and didn't have long before he passed out from the strain of holding off the giant fingers.

She dropped quickly to ground level, landing just in front of their team leader and being joined almost immediately by a shaken looking Wildstar. "Cyclops, we have ta do somethin'! Wolvie can't hold out much longer."

Cyclops hesitated, looking around at the other X-Men, who were anxiously awaiting his orders. They had to move quickly before Wolverine was injured but, much as he hated to admit it, he was all out of options. Wolverine was as good as dead. He hoped the feral mutant would understand what he now had to do.

Cursing silently to himself, he came to a decision and raised his head. "Computer, emergency cancellation: Cyclops: Priority One."

The street scene faded from view as the Danger Room cancelled the scenario immediately. Before them, the huge obsidian robot settled into inactivity, the lights behind its baleful red eyes growing dim. For safety reasons, a projection never cancelled when holding, or being stood on, by a team member. A fall from a rapidly disappearing building could be fatal for a none-flyer if a scenario was unexpectedly cancelled, so the room had safeties built in as standard.

Rogue tossed her team leader a disgusted glance before taking off to fly up to her trapped team-mate, now freed from the pressure of the squeezing fingers but still unable to lever himself out of their grasp. Using her formidable strength, she prized the fingers apart, allowing Wolverine to drop to the ground. He landed lightly on his feet like a cat, dusting himself off nonchalantly, as the robot behind him faded back into the programme from whence it came. Rogue landed beside him and he turned to punch her shoulder in manly gratitude.

Cyclops strode forward, trailing the other X-men in his wake. "That was pathetic, people. Absolutely pathetic! If this were a real combat situation, Wolverine would have been out of action by now, robbing us of one of our biggest hitters."

"Beggin' your pardon, fearless leader, but if this were a real combat situation there wouldn't have been an emergency cancellation option. Ah think ya'll is gettin' things outta perspective here, sugah."

"Yeah, Rogue's right," put in Jubilee, pushing forward slightly. "If you'd given the order, we coulda rescued Wolvie easy. Right, Gambit?"

The tall Cajun flipped a card through his fingers. "Right, petite."

Cyclops shook his head. "While I appreciate your confidence, Jubilee, you are forgetting the reason for this lesson. This combat session was designed to test your ability to work as a team and follow orders to the letter. You all failed, so there was no purpose in carrying on any longer. Hence, I cancelled the programme."

"Bull!" Wolverine stepped forward, anger evident in his tone and the set of his shoulders. "I think that ruby visor's cloudin' the way ya see things, pal. The way I remember it, things were goin' just fine until iceboy here botched his job." He jabbed an accusing finger at Blizzard, who raised his hands as if to ward off the verbal blow. "We didn't 'all' fail, Cyclops. _One _of us did. An' that mistake threw the rest o' us."

"Yes, a mistake, Wolverine. We all make mistakes, even you, from time to time."

Wolverine growled, a sound that usually sent saner men scurrying for cover. To his credit, Cyclops didn't even flinch. "A mistake durin' a combat situation could cost someone their life, Summers. You know that better'n any of us. Blizzard screwed up twice today. If the boy can't hack it, he shouldn't be trainin' with the elite team. He's gonna get somebody hurt."

Cyclops sighed, running a hand distractedly through his dark hair. "Logan, calm down. You're just angry because the robot got the drop on you." He placed his hand on his team-mate's shoulder, but Wolverine shrugged it off with a growl.

"Yer damn right I'm angry. This isn't the first time the boy's botched a trainin' session, but ya'll keep makin' excuses fer him until somebody gets hurt, or worse."

"Logan ……"

"Ah, shaddup, Cyclops, I've had enough o' this. Ya want me, ya know where ta find me."

Wolverine stalked from the Danger Room, pushing roughly past Phoenix and Psylocke and scattering the trainees who were waiting in the corridor for their own training session to start. Phoenix watched him stride angrily into the elevator and then looked back into the Danger Room, her eyes seeking those of her fiancée. "Who rattled his cage?"

Cyclops sighed, wearily. "A small misunderstanding, that's all, Jean. He'll be fine after he's had time to calm down." He turned to face the control booth set high into the Danger Room wall. "I'm sorry things didn't go as planned, Professor. Do you want us to try again?"

"Negative, Cyclops." Professor Xavier's voice issued clearly from unseen speakers and Cyclops could see the school's mentor and guide sitting calmly behind the booth's reinforced plexi-glass window, where he had been monitoring the session. "You are one man down and Wildstar may have been injured in the fall. I suggest you all follow Wolverine's example, impromptu though it may be, and call it a day. We will run this scenario another day, when hot heads have cooled down."

"Okay, Professor."

"If trainin' over for de day, den Gambit, he gonna take himself off to de rec room for a relaxin' game o' pool." The Cajun pocketed his unused playing cards and sidled up to Rogue. "Care to join me, chere? Remy t'ink you owe him a rematch."

Rogue considered this. "Well …… okay. But only if ya promise not ta cheat this time, ya Cajun Swamp Rat!"

"Cheat?" Gambit looked hurt. "Remy LeBeau, he don' have to cheat. You mus' have Remy mistaken for someone else, chere."

The pair left the Danger Room arm in arm, followed closely by Blizzard, whose dark expression left no doubt as to what he was thinking. Cyclops frowned as the young mutant disappeared from view, hoping he didn't feel too badly about what had happened during the training session. Mistakes was unavoidable, but Blizzard seemed to be making more than his fair share of them just lately, which was unfortunate, given Wolverine's penchant for perfection in matters of training. Cyclops would never admit it to Wolverine but, for once, he actually agreed with the feral mutant - Blizzard shouldn't be training with the elite team. He was too young, and still wet behind the ears where his powers were concerned. But the Professor had graduated him to the elite team after only two weeks as a trainee, overlooking the boy's twin sister, Blaze, and their own Iceman who, in Cyclops' opinion, had far greater control over his powers. Cyclops would never question one of the Professor's decisions, but he truly believed their mentor had made a bad call on this one. He just hoped the boy improved soon, before someone got hurt …… or worse.

Cyclops shook his head in confusion. Of all the X-Men, Wolverine surprisingly had always shown the most patience when dealing with the youngsters. Kitty and Jubilee popped immediately to mind. Despite his ornery nature, he'd immediately taken both youngsters into his protection, personally overseeing their training and making them into the X-Men they were today. With Jubilee, that was still an on-going process, but Cyclops could see the same relationship already forming with one of the new trainees. Hisako Ichiki, a likable girl of Asian descent, already seemed to have formed an unlikely friendship with the gruff feral, to the extent that he had taken her into his one on one training regime along with Jubilee. But not Blizzard. If it were just the girls Wolverine was drawn to, Cyclops could understand it, but he hadn't taken to his twin sister either. Or the two girls that had accompanied them. Why? What was so different about these particular trainees?

Shaking his head in bewilderment, Cyclops walked slowly from the Danger Room, totally oblivious to the stares of the trainees who were waiting in the corridor. To them, members of the elite team were like gods, to be looked up to and emulated. Nothing could stand in their way. Yet they had already seen the Wolverine stalk angrily from the room with a face as black as thunder, now followed by Cyclops, who looked as though he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. When Wildstar popped into view, cradling an obviously injured arm, several gulped and looked at each other nervously. It was with some degree of reluctance that they followed Psylocke into the Danger Room, obviously fearing what was about to be thrown at them.

Jubilee fell into step beside Kristi as they walked, noting the way she favoured her left arm. "Hey, are you okay?"

Kristi winced. "Landed a bit heavily, I think, and I've hurt my arm. I'm gonna drop by the med-lab and have Henry look at it."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"Okay. I'll catch you later."

Kristi nodded, and continued down the corridor as Jubilee stopped at the elevator. Despite her hurt, she smiled to herself, remembering her first time alone in these corridors. They still all looked the same to her but, in the three weeks since graduating to the main team, she could now make it from one room to another without getting lost.

Dr Henry McCoy, affectionately known to his friends as Hank, and to the mutant community as Beast, was gazing at the computer terminal on his desk and chewing thoughtfully on a pencil as she entered the med-lab. His cat-like eyes blinked at her as he removed his glasses with a furry blue paw and polished them on the hem of his lab coat. "Ah! A visitor to my humble abode! To what do I owe the pleasure, my dear?"

Kristi grinned, ruefully. "To a rather large robot and the roof of a car," she explained, indicating her arm. "I rather foolishly took them both on, but I think the robot and the car won."

Dr McCoy settled his glasses back into place and stood, pacing across the med-lab towards her with the fluid grace of a jungle cat. It rather reminded her of Wolverine. "I assume from your description that you have had an encounter with the obsidian robot?"

Kristi nodded. "It was a shambles, Henry," she confirmed, with a shudder for added effect.

"Well, he is rather a rambunctious fellow, I'll agree with you on that one." Henry indicated she should remove her jacket and hop up onto one of the examination couches. "You're not the first one to be injured in that particular scenario and you certainly won't be the last. I remember the time when ……"

Much as Kristi liked hearing tales from the X-Men's past exploits, her arm ached and now was not the time. She waggled her fingers at him in an effort to attract Henry's attention. "Um, doc? The arm?"

"Oh yes! Forgive me, my dear, I was rather forgetting myself. Now, let's have a look at you, shall we?" He held Kristi's arm gently in two massive paws. "You know, you really should be careful how you land, my dear. This is going to leave a nasty bruise …."

**NEXT:** "You really don't like Blizzard much, do you, Wolvie?" Kristi and Logan discuss Blizzard's short-comings.


	2. Chocolate Brown and Icy Blue

Hello everyone! Second chapter up! Slightly earlier than expected, due to less hours at work! Yay, work!

Many thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter - **Sabrielle-x, huffle-bibin **and **Laudine!** Your imput and interest is always appreciated and I'm so pleased you enjoyed the first chapter!

Let the story continue ..... !

**2. Chocolate Brown and Icy Blue**

Kristi's medical examination proved she had nothing more serious than a severe case of bruising – a lucky escape, considering how hard she had hit the car. She had expected nothing less than a sprain. Henry prescribed light duties only for the next week, which meant no strenuous training and definitely no rematch with the obsidian robot. Kristi had mixed feelings about this. While she was pleased not to go up against the robot any time soon, she knew she had to train with the full team as much as physically possible in order to learn their fighting style. It was only a matter of time before they were called into battle in the field, and she had no desire to be a liability to anyone.

Henry seemed to suspect this and suggested some light one on one training to keep her in practise. Storm, Gambit and Cyclops were all excellent candidates, as each possessed abilities that would help advance her own, but on no accounts was she to train with Wolverine until her arm was better. His fighting style was far too strenuous and frenetic.

Kristi knew this idea was out of the window as soon as Henry had said it. On Wolverine's bidding, she had recently joined Jubilee's private training regime and, under his excellent tutelage, was rapidly learning to hone her fighting abilities. On no accounts would her mate allow her to beg off from the sessions for an excuse as flimsy as a bruised arm. Their training was far too important to him, and she knew she'd have to keep their sessions a secret now, lest she incur Henry's wrath. Yet, if he had known, she was actually far safer training with Wolverine than with any of the other X-Men. Their bond enabled her to link with his mind, and he into hers, allowing them to anticipate each others moves before they made them. It wasn't telepathy – their bond was empathic in nature – more a 'feel' for what the other was going to do. The link, as yet, was far from perfect – it would be months before Wolverine would allow her to take him on, one on one for example. One slip-up and a set of adamantium claws could easily end her career as an X-Man before it had started. But the basics were coming together and it was only a matter of time before everything fell into place.

By the time Kristi left med-lab – with a couple of pain-killers should the ache in her arm not allow her to sleep – it was still a couple of hours until lunch time, but the morning's exertion had made her hungry, so she decided to stop off at the kitchen to make up a snack and take it back to her room. She had planned to spend the rest of the morning studying some files on her lap-top, before her afternoon session with Jean. The fiery red-head was helping her to erect shields, as per Logan's request, ostensibly to enable her to resist psychic attack. But the real reason was so that she didn't broadcast her emotions to him constantly every minute of the day and night, and also to protect her from his when his guard was down. A particularly violent nightmare of Logan's had awoken them both screaming from their respective rooms in the middle of the night, just a week after being rescued from Roberts, with the result that half the students were traumatised, believing the mansion was under attack. Logan went to Jean the very next day and requested the psychic training for Kristi.

With the bond permanently attuned to her mate's emotions and state of mind, Kristi wasn't surprised to find Logan in the kitchen, propping up the refrigerator and nursing a beer. The not unpleasant buzz in her head had warned her that he had sought solace in a bottle and was therefore still harbouring bad feelings about the training session. Still dressed in his fighting uniform, with the jacket thrown casually over the counter top beside him, he was staring at the label of the bottle as though expecting to find the answers to life written there, but he looked up expectantly as Kristi entered.

"Hey, Kris," he acknowledged, with a nod. "How's the arm?"

Kristi glanced at it briefly before answering. "Hurts like hell," she admitted, truthfully, knowing it was useless to lie, even to spare him worrying. "And I'll have a devil of a bruise come morning." She grinned, ruefully. "I think Rogue came out of our collision far better than I did. I guess it pays to be invulnerable."

"Or have a healin' factor."

"Yeah, that too!" Kristi grinned at him. "For a while there, Logan, it looked as though the robot was trying to make a sandwich filling out of you."

Logan snorted. "I'll live. Which is more than I can say fer that damn robot if it tries the same trick again." He popped a single claw for emphasis, turning his fist to study it in the light beaming through the window behind him. "Summers shouldn't have let Blizzard off so easily. The boy was way outta line an' he knew it."

"I didn't really see what happened," admitted Kristi, honestly. "I was too busy crashing."

"My point exactly," grunted Logan, sheathing the claw with a satisfied 'snakt'. He hitched over as Kristi headed for the refrigerator, watching her poke through the contents in search of sandwich makings. "It was just a bruised arm this time, Kris. Next time we might not be so lucky."

Kristi pulled back from her search of the refrigerator, clutching a piece of cucumber, a tomato and a large jar of mayonnaise. "You really don't like Daniel very much, do you?" she asked, curiously, snagging a loaf of bread and laying out the results of her plunderings before her on the counter top.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Is it that obvious?"

Kristi grinned. "Just a little bit. All the growling and swearing when he's around tends to give you away."

Logan shrugged, leaning back against the counter top and taking a slug of his beer. "Boy's too cocky," he announced, as Kristi began slicing her tomato and laying it in a neat pile. "Likes ta show off an' thinks himself infallible. Gonna cost him, one o' these days."

Kristi nodded, thoughtfully, starting on the cucumber.

"Chuck oughta take him out o' the main team an' put him back with the trainees," Logan continued, watching Kristi's fingers as she deftly fitted her sandwich together. "The boy's not ready ta run with the big hitters yet, not if his constant gaffes are anythin' ta go by. Can't understand why the Prof allows it ta continue. Any other trainee woulda been removed long ago."

"Maybe the Professor thinks he'll get over his nerves if he stays with the main team?" Kristi ignored Logan's disgusted snort and reached into the refrigerator once more for a carton of orange juice. "I'm not making excuses for him, Logan. If it makes you feel any better, I don't like him much either. I don't like his know-it-all attitude. He reminds me of someone I once knew and he was too big for his boots too." She paused, during which Logan passed her a glass from the cupboard beside him. She wondered whether to tell Wolverine what really bothered her about Blizzard. She didn't like splitting on a fellow X-Man, but then he hadn't really made any effort to become part of the X-family outside of training. His free time was spent mainly in the company of his sister, Rachael, and the two other young mutants who had been with him when they had turned up at the mansion's door one rainy night, claiming sanctuary. Their story, that they'd fallen in with the wrong crowd and been on the receiving end of a beating when they'd accidentally revealed themselves as mutants, was readily believed by Professor Xavier, who had given them food and lodging for the night and a chance to stay and use their powers for the good of mankind come morning. The offer was accepted but, despite being readily welcomed into their ranks by the other students, the new arrivals had made no effort to reciprocate that friendship – with the possible exception of the youngest member of their group, fourteen year old Jacquie, known as Firefly. She alone had become firm friends with Rahne and Hisako and was also doing well at her studies, proving herself a willing student. But there was something about Blizzard that set Kristi on edge and she knew Logan could sense it too.

She poured herself a large glass of orange juice, fully aware that Logan was watching her carefully, obviously picking up on her troubled thoughts.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Penny fer 'em, Kris?"

Kristi wrinkled her nose, still reluctant to spill the beans. "It's nothing, Logan. You'll think I'm being silly."

"Try me." He sent a pulse of genuine curiosity for good measure.

Kristi puffed up her cheeks and let the air out, slowly. "Well ….. okay. Since you insist. You know what's really creepy about him, Wolvie? He's always watching me when he thinks I'm not looking."

Logan straightened, eyes narrowing. "Oh, is he now? D'ya want me ta sort him out fer ya, Kris?"

Kristi smiled, impishly, reaching out to pat his arm. "Thanks for the offer, Logan, but no." She opened the refrigerator door to return the carton of orange juice. "I'm a big girl now. I can handle him if he starts anything."

Logan grinned, wickedly. "I guess ya can, at that." He paused as Kristi closed the refrigerator door, then reached out, snagging her around the waist and pulling her to him with a startled squeak. "But can ya handle me?"

Kristi rested her hands on his arms, gazing up into his clear blue eyes. She bit her lower lip. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Wanna try?"

"Logan, I ……"

She shivered as Logan locked his arms around her back and tilted his head, dipping slowly nearer, his intent clear. Kristi's heart-rate went into overdrive, thumping so wildly she was sure half the mansion could hear it. _Oh my god!_ His mouth stopped just centimetres from hers, hovering so close that she could feel his breath on her lips. Her shaking hands moved up his arms to rest on his shoulders and she flicked her eyes upwards to see herself reflected in his, the blue of his eyes darkening with feral lust. She licked her lips nervously, feeling an answering shudder pass through the body that was pressed so close to hers. God, she wanted him so much. And it was clear those feelings were reciprocated.

Closing the distance between them, Logan touched his lips lightly to hers, flicking his tongue across her lower lip and hearing her gasp in response. She tightened her grip on his shoulders, craving more, but he pulled back slowly, looking down at the face tilted upwards to his, eyes closed and lips slightly parted as though inviting him in. Kristi's eyes flicked open and, just for a second, chocolate brown met icy blue before his lips crashed down onto hers with a fervour so long denied them.

Kristi gasped as he dropped his shields, letting her know exactly what she was doing to him. His feral lust flooded into her, colliding with her own and setting her body ablaze with desire for her mate. _Oh, dear lord …!_ Yes, they had kissed before – stolen moments in an empty hallway with a quick touch of the lips for fear of their love being discovered – but never like this, never so heated and full of desire. Never before had Logan captured her in his arms like this and explored her back with his hands, or kissed her like he wanted to devour her whole. Never before had he shown her the full extent of his feelings for her.

Feeling giddy with the rush of heat to her veins, she tangled her fingers in his raven black hair, slipping her other hand around his neck and using both to pull him closer. In response, Logan nipped at her lower lip, growling way down in his throat, his tongue demanding entrance. Nervous but willing, Kristi obliged, her legs almost giving way as her mate deepened the kiss, tilting her backwards in a passionate embrace. The growl turned to a deep rumble in his chest and, with a sudden jolt of clarity, Kristi realised he was purring.

Logan released her so suddenly she almost fell over. Staggering against the table, she twisted to see him leaning awkwardly against the counter top, knuckles white with the force of gripping the edges, his breath heavy, eyes wide and dark. He ran a hand through his hair, looking around wildly. Kristi gasped as his shields slammed into place, cutting her off from the full force of his emotions, but not before she had felt the surge of confusion, desire and betrayal thundering through him. _Betrayal? What the hell …… ?_

Trembling, Kristi reached out a hand. "Logan …… ?"

He turned to her, his eyes flashing with a wildness that she had never seen before. "I gotta go," he rasped, his voice thick and heavy. "I jus' remembered …… I gotta go."

He grabbed his jacket and stalked from the kitchen, leaving Kristi in stunned silence. Slowly, she straightened up from the table, eyes focused on the door her mate had just disappeared through, half expecting him to return and laugh it all off as a joke. But he didn't return and Kristi had no idea what had just happened. She reached out through the bond, unable to make sense of the jumble of emotions that came back to her. Nothing connected – one emotion linked crazily to another, tangled together like a kitten with a ball of string. The rush made her feel nauseous – she was forced to withdraw and erect her own, as yet, woefully inadequate shields. But the lessening of the onslaught, however slight, helped somewhat and she took several slow breaths to calm her pounding heart.

_What the hell just happened?_ She picked up Logan's half finished bottle of beer and sniffed at it cautiously, wondering if something in it had set him off but, in her limited experience of such things, it simply smelled like beer. Just to be on the safe side, however, she poured the rest of it down the sink and tossed the bottle into the recycling bin. Tentatively, she then reached out to her mate once more, but still received the same confusing jumble of emotions in return. What did it mean? Why had he broken off such a passionate kiss to bolt like that? It was almost like that morning at the barn ……

Was that the answer? Had his feral nature been about to surface again? Had he cut and run because he'd been about to mark her?

_Oh, for heaven's sake!_ Kristi took a plate from the cupboard and slammed the door closed, angrily. When she saw Logan again, she was going to give him such a piece of her mind. Because the sooner he realised that she _wanted _to be marked, the better ……

**oooOOOooo**

Once out of the kitchen, Logan turned and literally ran down the hallway, pushing past a group of students and ignoring their startled cries. His heart pounded in his ears and his breath came in jerky gasps, but all he knew was that he had to get away from the terrible feeling of betrayal that had stolen his passion, images of another pair of soft slanted eyes crowding out those of his mate.

He reached the front door and burst through, stumbling down the porch steps and out across the lawn, heading for the lake. He vaulted a flower bed, suddenly feeling Kristi questing for him. He tried to send back, to reassure her that she had done nothing wrong, but his mind was in such turmoil that he knew he was sending gibberish. He growled in anguish, balling his hands into fists and popping his claws, hoping the familiar pain would shock him back to his senses.

He was halfway to the boathouse when the pain hit. Clutching his head, he stumbled, dropping to his knees in the soft grass, howling his agony to the sky. Then blackness closed in, and his unconscious body hit the ground with a thud.

**NEXT: **To tame a feral.


	3. Submission Is Not An Option

Hello again, all! Welcome to chapter three!

My thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter! **Sabrielle-x, Laudine, Frozen Voices, nileena **and **wolfbane17! **I'm seriously becoming addicted to your comments! Keep it up!

This chapter, Blizzard, Firefly, Blaze and Psyche are all my own creations! Hope you enjoy their first appearance together!

**xXx**

**3. Submission Is Not An Option**

_The feral's world is based on sensory, rather than physical, perceptions. Deprived of these perceptions, he will become withdrawn, often losing his tenuous grip on sanity. In severe cases, he may revert to his dominant feral state, becoming a danger to himself and those around him._

Kristi frowned to herself and scrolled down to another paragraph.

_Despite outward appearances, the feral is a wily opponent and is often extremely intelligent. Natural ferocity, coupled with a fierce desire to survive, make him a force to be reckoned with. A wounded feral is not one to be taken lightly._

Nodding in agreement with these words, Kristi glanced down the rest of the paragraph, scanning for anything that caught her eye. Further down the page, the image of a wild eyed male feral glared out of the lap-top screen. Caught in mid snarl, lips drawn back from sharply pointed canines, talons extended, he looked ready to spring at whatever unfortunate soul had been standing behind the camera. There was no caption to say who he was, but it wasn't Sabretooth and, Kristi was relieved to note, it wasn't Logan either. Relieved, because she actually found the image of the enraged feral vaguely unsettling. Was this what Logan was capable of becoming if he lost control? Was this what would emerge if he ever allowed himself to mark her?

Sighing, she clicked on another page, trying to put the image of the wild eyed feral from her mind, almost unwilling to believe that the man she had come to love was capable of becoming such a creature. She had seen him fight and train and, while it was true that he fought with a ferocity and a natural instinct that was simply uncanny, she had never seen him devolve into the drooling animal in the computer image.

But then, this was the reason she was studying these files, wasn't it? To find out more about the man she had suddenly found herself bonded to? To find out more about the bond itself?

Unconsciously, her eyes flicked to the open notebook lying beside her on the bed, realising that the page was almost empty apart from the words _'Bond = shared emotions. Personality switch?'_ Logan's own knowledge of such bonds had been sketchy at best and the only thing he'd been able to assure her of was the fact that their connection would deepen as their relationship progressed. But deepen how? Just what was she supposed to expect?

Which is where the files came in. Once she find out that the War Room computer database held extensive records on all X-Men, past and present, she knew she had to see them, reasoning that they must hold vital information to help her figure out her future role in her and Logan's relationship. How to get at the files had posed a bit of a problem. The War Room's computers weren't off limits – anyone on the elite team had access and, since her graduation to said team three weeks ago, after the Roberts fiasco, that access included Kristi. But, by her own admission, she was something of a troglodyte when it came to computers and, while she was perfectly capable of navigating her way around her own lap-top, the huge system in the War Room was something else entirely. She had had no desire to activate the perimeter alarms or accidentally launch the jet simply by pressing the wrong button at the wrong time. She couldn't go to Professor Xavier to ask for help – she knew he would ask her why she needed them, and she also knew she was still fairly hopeless at maintaining her shields. One stray thought and her and Logan's bonded connection would have been a secret no longer. She had a similar reason for not going to any other member of the elite team. And while Logan himself would probably have been perfectly happy to help her, she didn't want him to know she needed to see his files. To Kristi, this felt like throwing his kindness back in his face.

The solution came with Kitty Pryde's return to the mansion, following her recent visit home. Kitty was the X-Men's computer whiz-kid and was more than happy to download a copy of all the files for Kristi to study in the privacy of her own room, once she had explained she needed to learn more about the team following her graduation. Fingers crossed behind her back had eased Kristi's conscience at this 'white lie'.

With the precious files now in her possession, Kristi had taken to studying them whenever she had free time. Starting with Logan's file, she had learned of his involvement with the CIA and Department H, and the Weapon X project which had forcibly given him his adamantium skeleton and claws and tried to make him into a living weapon. But finding nothing there to help her, she had branched out, covering all the X-Men and moving out to other subjects. They made for fascinating reading and she often found herself being sidetracked by an interesting tidbit – there was actually a mutant who could explode and then reform himself to do it all again! – but so far she had found nothing about feral bonds, or anything to explain Logan's strange behaviour in the kitchen that morning. It seemed as if her initial theory had been correct – he was simply afraid of letting the beast out and marking her.

She was so engrossed in her research that she didn't realise someone had tapped on her door until it opened and Jubilee poked her head around it.

"Hey, cloth ears! Didn't you hear me knock?"

Kristi rolled over from where she had been laying on her stomach with the lap-top in front of her, glancing at the clock on her bedside table as Jubilee and Gina let themselves in. It was almost 8pm. She had been so wrapped up in the files she had lost track of time.

"Sorry, guys." She hitched her lap-top over as Gina sat at the bottom of the bed. Jubilee headed for the windowsill and pulled herself onto it. "I didn't realise it had gotten so late."

Gina leaned over, trying to see the screen. "Whatchya doing? Still trawling through those files?"

Kristi sighed, pushing back a stray lock of hair and tucking it behind her ear. "It's taking forever," she confirmed, pulling the lap-top back around so that Gina could see the screen. "There isn't just stuff on the X-Men in here – the files contain data on mutants from all over the world. Did you know there's another mutant group in Canada?"

Jubilee nodded, pulling a lolly out of her duster pocket and unwrapping it. "That's Alpha Flight," she confirmed. "Wolvie knows 'em. Stuffy lot, if ya ask me. Although that Northstar guy is a bit of a looker."

Gina gave her a sideways glance. "I've heard he's gay."

Jubilee coughed around her lolly. "Really? What a waste." She ignored Gina's huff and concentrated her attention on Kristi. "So have you learned anything at all?"

"It's all a bit overwhelming, but I've figured one or two things out." She pressed a key on the pad, recalling a particular page. "This bit caught my eye. According to research by a Professor Miles Station, ferals are extremely territorial, often displaying a classic Alpha male complex. The feral has to exert his authority over other males in his territory in order to prove his superiority."

"Well, that explains why Wolvie an' Cyclops are always going at it hammer and tongs," declared Jubilee, momentarily removing her lolly to gesture expansively with it. "He's always had a problem with figures of authority. Probably sees them as rivals to his 'male superiority'. She waggled her fingers in quotation marks.

"Poor Scott," commiserated Gina. "To be the team leader and yet always have Wolverine snapping at your heels must be terribly wearing." She skilfully ignored Jubilee's disgusted snort.

"Yes, but that's not all," continued Kristi, leaning forward and tapping another key. "It says here that the feral often desires his mate to show a submissive nature. '_The mate must defer to her male in all things',"_ she quoted. _" 'During sex,'"_ she blushed, _" ' or periods of heightened emotion, it has been noted that the female will often bare her throat to the male, thus showing her acceptance of her mate's dominance'." _She looked up at her two friends, conscious of the deep blush colouring her cheeks.

"Well, what's wrong with that?" asked Gina, puzzled by Kristi's reaction. "Sounds rather exciting, if you ask me."

"I can't do it," she protested. "I can't be submissive. It's just not me!"

"Well, I refuse to believe Wolvie likes simpering women anyway," snorted Jubilee. "Look at Jean! She's hardly what you'd call a fluffy female, yet Wolvie's always had the hots for her!"

"Jubilee!"

"What? It's true!"

"Well, there's always the exception to the rule," mused Gina, thoughtfully.

"All the same, I can't help wondering if I'd maybe been a bit more hesitant when Logan kissed me in the kitchen, he …… oh!" Kristi cut off as she suddenly noticed both friends staring at her. "Oh! I've said too much!"

"No no, not enough! Do continue!" Jubilee hopped off the windowsill and onto the bed, tossing her lolly in the waste bin. "Kissing? Kissing where? And how? Did you use tongues?"

"Jubilee! For heaven's sake ……!"

"Not now, Gina! This is good stuff we're missing here! Come on, Kristi, I want details! Give, give!"

Kristi blushed, furiously. "I really shouldn't have said anything, Jubilee. I was just thinking aloud ……"

"Stop thinking, start spilling! Like …… is he a good kisser?"

Kristi's lips turned upwards in a serene smile as she remembered the feel of her mate's mouth on hers, the soft caress of his hands and the hard press of his body.

Gina nudged Jubilee. "I think that silly grin means he's a good kisser, Jubes!"

"Something …… happened." Kristi came out of her reverie with a jolt. "He suddenly broke away and took off."

"What the hell for?"

"I don't know." Kristi shook her head in confusion. "I have …… a theory. But since reading this," she tapped the lap-top screen, "I've been wondering if I was too …… forward."

"For Wolvie? Not a chance!"

"Then what do you suggest?" Kristi fixed her friend with a challenging glare.

"Well, I don't know." She paused, considering. "How did he seem before he …… took off?"

"We were chatting."

"What about?"

"About …… Blizzard."

"Ah."

"Ah? What do you mean 'ah'?"

"Well, Wolvie did seem pretty rattled after the training session."

"I don't blame him. I was rattled too."

"Do you think that's why he took off?" Gina looked doubtful despite her suggestion.

"I don't know," shrugged Jubilee. "I'm just grasping at straws here. What did he say about Blizzard, Kristi?"

"He doesn't like him very much."

"Well, that's no secret ……"

"He doesn't think Daniel should be training with the elite team. Says he makes too many mistakes and he's gonna get somebody hurt one day."

"Y'know, Wolvie's a pretty good judge of character, Kristi. If he mistrusts Blizzard, maybe he's got a point. He's never been wrong before."

"I didn't say he mistrusted Daniel, Jubilee. I said he didn't like him." The conversation seemed to have taken a serious U-turn.

"With Wolvie, 'distrust' and 'dislike' are often the same thing." Jubilee folded her arms, decisively. "I trust Wolvie's senses."

"Well, I do too, Jubes, but don't you think we're all getting a bit carried away here?" Kristi paused and scratched her ear, thoughtfully. "I think Daniel's only guilty of being a cocky know-it-all. He's too sharp for his own good. But I don't think he's untrustworthy."

"I hope you're right, Kristi."

"Of course I'm right, Jubilee. Daniel's an X-Man. The Professor wouldn't have raised him to the elite team if he couldn't be trusted."

"Exactly. It's difficult to pull the wool over the eyes of a telepath," added Gina.

"So why didn't the Professor raise his sister? Or Psyche or Firefly?"

"Come off it, Jubes! Jacquie's too young to be an X-Man! She's only fourteen!"

"So? Same age as me," countered Jubilee.

"Yes, and you'd been travelling with Logan for months before you were accepted into the team. Firefly's had no formal training at all. Ditto for Psyche. And Rachael's already made it known that she's got no desire to join the team until she's completed her training. Daniel's more ambitious. He made no secret of the fact that he wanted to be on the team right from the start."

"Yes, and why Blizzard and not our own Iceman?" Jubilee carried on the argument, unconscious of the fact that she'd just separated the two young mutants into 'theirs' and 'ours'. "It just wasn't fair on Bobby. He's been with us far longer than Daniel and if anyone should have graduated to the elite team it should have been him."

Kristi sighed. "You do realised, Jubilee, that I graduated to the team after just under a month as a trainee?"

"Yes, but you'd been involved in action. Blizzard hasn't. The Professor raised you because of the way you handled yourself during the Roberts fiasco and Wolvie vouched for you. There's a big difference, Kristi."

"Look, we could discuss this until we're all blue in the face, but it won't change anything," stated Gina, decisively. "Blizzard's on the main team, and that's it. End of story. It doesn't matter who likes him or who doesn't, it won't make any difference."

"Speaking of Wolvie, have you seen him since he ran out on you?" Jubilee leaned forward, expectantly.

Kristi shook her head. "No. I checked his room just after dinner, but he wasn't there, and no one's seen him since training this morning. His emotions were really chaotic earlier, but now they just feel calm. Wherever he is, I think he's meditating."

"Best to leave him alone then," declared Jubilee, wisely. "He'll come around in his own time."

Kristi nodded, but didn't feel too convinced.

"Don't feel too bad about the submission thing, Kristi," continued Gina. "From what I can tell, Wolverine isn't your typical feral. He's managed to hold on to his humanity, for one thing. So maybe being submissive won't be such a big issue for him."

"Maybe ……" whispered Kristi, hesitantly. Because the image of the wild eyed feral had again popped into her mind and the one thing she knew she absolutely couldn't do was bare her throat to those wicked looking canines ……

**oooOOOooo**

Daniel Weston, also known as the X-Man Blizzard, tapped lightly on the door to his sister's room, blissfully unaware of the fact that he was the subject of a heated conversation in the next wing. A soft voice bid him enter and he slipped quickly into the room, closing the door and locking it behind him. He wasn't afraid of being discovered there – students were allowed to visit each other's rooms and this was his sister after all – but no one could barge in unexpectedly and overhear their private conversation.

His sister, Rachael, looked up from where she was sprawled on her stomach on her bed, a book propped open before her. Fourteen year old Jacquie – Firefly – was sitting on the windowsill, sending out gentle pulses of light to the beat of the music she was listening to through her earphones. Her iridescent wings shimmered in the fading light coming through the window. But it was to Psyche that his eyes were ultimately drawn. Pausing in the act of brushing out her long black hair, she fixed him with a withering glare.

"What the hell do you call that stunt you pulled in the Danger Room this morning? Are you trying to throw everything we've worked for away?"

"Forget it, Psyche. It was nothing." Daniel waved a hand at her dismissively, and dropped down onto the bed next to Rachael's.

Psyche put down her brush and propped her hands on her hips. "Forget it? It was nothing? It _will_ be bloody something if your little 'blunder' gets you kicked off the team. It take it, it wasn't an accident?"

Daniel's grin told her all she needed to know. She threw her hands in the air with an exasperated snort. "Blizzard, I swear you're gonna get us all killed. Please don't tell me it was Wolverine again."

Daniel scowled, running a hand through his dark wavy hair. "He's an obnoxious jerk, Karen. He gets on my nerves. It would have served the bugger right if I'd managed to ice him up good an' proper."

"Blizzard, if I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times, don't call me by my slave name."

"Why not? It is your name, isn't it?"

"You really ought to get used to using it, you know," added Rachael, closing her book and sitting up. "The students here only use codenames when they're training or out on a mission. We need to blend in."

"I hate my name!" Psyche stalked across the room and threw herself down on her bed. "And we're hardly going to blend in if Mr Impulsive can't stop baiting Wolverine."

"I can't help it," retorted Daniel. "He rubs me up the wrong way. Even the boss hates him."

"The boss doesn't hate him. He hates what he stands for. There's a big difference," corrected Psyche. "Just leave him alone, Blizzard, or you'll blow our cover. I've already forced things by getting you onto the team. I won't be able to protect you if you push Wolverine too far."

"Push him too far? Believe me, Psyche, I haven't even begun to push him yet." He grinned, maliciously. "By the time I've finished with him, he'll be long gone when we make our move ……"

**NEXT: **Plans for the weekend!


	4. Something For the Weekend

Hey, guys, me again! Just to clarify something about the uniforms mentioned in this chapter. This story was actually written between the first two X-Men movies. (I'm just updating it a little and adding some new stuff!) At the time, Marvel decided to change the team from their usual brightly coloured spandex into black leather ensembles, which closely mirrored the uniforms used in the movie. I liked them, and decided to change the uniforms in my story too, hence Wolvie's new black attire. However, Marvel have since gone back to the bright spandex, but I decided to stick with the black leather! I like it, so there! And there's just something incredibly sexy about Wolvie in black leather ...... !

Thanks to my reviewers for the last chapter - **nileena, Hukkanen, Frozen Voices, Sabrielle-X **and **Laudine! **Glad you're still with me, guys, and enjoying the story!

So now, onward - further developments await ...... !

**4. Something For the Weekend**

Scott was standing at the bedroom window when Jean came out of the bathroom, arms folded and staring down into the mansion grounds as though he wished he could just phase through the glass and take off running into the sunrise and never look back. She watched him for several moments, lips pursed as she rubbed vigorously at her damp hair with a towel, but he was wrapped up in his personal thoughts and completely unaware of her presence. He was obviously brooding about something and she had a sneaking suspicion she knew what it was. She hadn't been attached to Scott all these years for her not to gain _some _insight on how his mind worked. She was a telepath, after all.

Finally, tossing the towel onto the bed, she crept across the bedroom towards him, although she reckoned her stealthy approach was completely unwarranted – she could have been stark naked and letting off firecrackers all the way and he still wouldn't have known she was there.

He jumped slightly as she slipped her arms around him from behind, resting her head on his back. "You seem awfully quiet this morning, lover. Still thinking about the training session?"

Scott sighed, patting his fiancee's hand absently. "Is it just me, Jean, or is the team not gelling like it used to?"

"Give them time, Scott, they will. They've been through a lot of changes recently and have a couple of new members. They just need time to adjust."

"Adjust? Jean, I sometimes feel as though they have no more idea of teamwork than a room full of monkeys. If Psylocke's not mooning over Warren then it's Blizzard coming up with ways to annoy Wolverine. And Logan …… when he's not on Blizzard's case, he seems so …… distracted. It's not like him."

"Logan's in love, Scott. Of course he's going to be distracted." Jean smiled against her fiance's back. "Don't you remember how 'distracted' we were when we first fell in love?"

Scott shook his head. "Are you sure, Jean? About Logan, I mean. I've been watching him and Kristi over the last few weeks and they don't seem like a couple in love to me. More like just good friends."

Jean released her fiancé and moved around him so that she could look into his ruby glasses. "I think they're keeping everything quiet until they feel the time is right to go public." She grinned. "It's quite sweet, really."

" 'Sweet' and 'Wolverine' are not words I would normally associate together, Jean." Scott sighed and pulled her into a close embrace. "God, I feel so tired lately, Jean. I used to enjoy leading the team through training sessions, but now ……"

Jean pulled back slightly, looking up at him with piercing green eyes. "Scott, you've got to stop worrying about the training. It'll come together in time."

"But ……"

"No 'buts', Scott. This isn't the first time a session has gone awry and it probably won't be the last. Remember the time Colossus nearly got crushed to death under that press? Or when Jubilee accessed the Sentinel programme by mistake and panicked because she couldn't turn it off? The programmes themselves have been known to run wild on a couple of occasions too."

Scott nodded. "So what's your point, Jean?"

"My point is, lover, that the Danger Room exists to help us hone our powers and perfect our teamwork. If mistakes are made, we learn from them. Far better to make those mistakes in the Danger Room, than out in the field."

Scott considered this. "I understand where you're coming from, Jean. Why is it that you always know exactly what to say to make everything make sense?"

"Because I'm a telepath, honey." Jean patted his shoulders and grinned. "What good is my ability if I don't use it now and then?"

Scott grinned, pulling her close once more. "If I thought that was true, Jean ……" He let the thought go unsaid and tilted his head, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Jean moaned against his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck just as a soft tap sounded at their door.

Scott pulled back with a muttered oath. "Dammit! If that's Bobby complaining that Jubilee's put fireworks in his shoes again, I'll ……"

Jean detached herself from Scott's ruffled embrace, straightening her damp hair. "Come in, Ororo. The door's open."

The team's resident weather witch entered, looking cool and radiant in a flowing blue kaftan. She smiled at the two lovers standing in the window. "Jean. Scott. I wonder if you could spare me a few minutes?"

"For you, 'Ro, anything." Scott moved away from Jean to welcome Ororo further into the room. "What's on your mind?"

"I am worried, Scott," admitted the white haired beauty, hesitantly. "There seems to be a great deal of tension within the team of late."

"So you've noticed it too, huh?"

"Yes, but I believe I have a solution."

"Oh?"

"The team needs a distraction – something to divert their attention and lighten the mood for a while. I believe I have come up with a plan to lift everyone's spirits."

"Go on, Ororo, I'm all ears."

And as his team-mate and friend began to outline her idea, Scott's face broke into a wide grin ……

**oooOOOooo**

Breakfast in the X-mansion was one of the quietest meals of the day, a time when sleepy eyed students tried to stay awake long enough to wolf down plates of bacon and eggs, and teaching staff discussed training schedules over steaming mugs of coffee. Several students were already present when Kristi entered the kichen this particular morning, listening to Hisako recount the details of a recent self defence class. Kristi collected a plate and helped herself to bacon, eggs and tomatoes, lovingly prepared by Betsy who was on cooking duty that morning. Her mind was elsewhere, but when she heard Hisako mention Wolverine, she paused in the act of picking up a couple of slices of toast to tune in to the conversation.

"I swear his claws came this near to poking my eye out!" Hisako described a ridiculously tiny distance from the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger. Calling herself Armor, and having the ability to project an impenetrable shield around herself, it had always been assumed that the only things allowed through were light and air. It seemed as though Hisako had just discovered – the hard way – that this list now included Logan's claws.

"What did he say?" asked Jacquie, wide-eyed, with a laden fork halfway to her mouth, wings fluttering nervously.

"He said – and get this! – he said he hadn't realised his hand wouldn't go through my shield!" Hisako was incredulous. "I mean, he's standing there, with his knuckles pressed to my shield, claws just millimetres from my eyes and he has the cheek to tell me he hadn't realised his _hand _wouldn't go through! How freaking awesome is that?"

"Whoa!"

Kristi grinned, turning slightly so that the group sitting at the table couldn't see her. It seemed as though the irrepressible Wolverine had just unwittingly impressed another youngster. No matter how he tried to be the big bad bruiser, he just couldn't seem to help gathering a ragtag group of admirers, all drawn to his devil may care attitude. And, despite the fact that Hisako could have been seriously injured if his hand _had _gone through the shield – although Kristi suspected he would have sheathed his claws and pulled the punch at the last second if that had been the case – it was this very act of bad boy recklessness that seemed to have impressed the young trainee the most. She had to give the trainees their due – absolutely nothing seemed to faze them.

Finishing off collecting her breakfast, she trotted over to the table to take a seat next to Gina, noticing for the first time that several of the youngsters were already in standard uniform, including her friend. Gina grinned at her as she pulled out a chair and Kristi smiled back, remembering how proud she had felt the day she had received her own trainee uniform. She had only worn it the once in a Danger Room session before graduating to an elite uniform, but she still remembered it fondly.

"The guy's a freakin' nutcase, if ya ask me." A familiar voice cut into her reminiscing, and she looked up to see Blizzard leaning against the counter top in the corner, a bowl of cereal resting in his hand. With a jolt of annoyance, she realised he was talking about Wolverine. "He coulda killed Hisako an' all a'ya think it's freakin' hilarious. What the hell's wrong with ya?"

"Nobody got killed, Daniel, so quit griping." Paige Guthrie came to Wolverine's defence, unwittingly cutting in before Kristi could compose a scathing reply. "Wolverine's too much of a pro to allow anyone to be injured in one of his own self defence classes."

"Are ya sure about that, Husk? 'Cause I'm not." Blizzard put his bowl down beside him and folded his arms, fixing Paige with a steady glare. "They say he's a killer. A trained assassin. Maybe ya oughta remember that the next time he nearly skewers one o' ya."

"Maybe _you_ ought to shut your mouth, Daniel, before one of us shuts it for you." The words were out of Kristi's mouth before she realised, but it was too late to call them back. She'd made her bed, now she had to lie in it. The table around her grew quiet, recognising a confrontation when they saw one. Even Betsy paused in the act of frying more bacon to watch with a narrowed eye.

"I shoulda known _you'd _jump to the headcase's defence." Blizzard gave her a look that made her skin crawl. "You sweet on him, or something, Wildstar? Are you lovers?"

There was a collective gasp from several people sitting around the table. Kristi's hands curled into fists and she jumped as she felt a gentle touch on her knee – Gina's hand under the table reminding her not to do or say anything she would regret later.

Bobby Drake came unwittingly to her rescue. "Are you nuts, Daniel? Everybody knows he holds a torch for Jean Grey. No other woman'll ever come close."

"Are you calling me crazy, icecube?" Blizzard stepped forward and Bobby rose from his chair to meet him, provoking a shout from Betsy which both youngsters ignored. Blizzard's face twisted with hatred. "Any time you're ready, ya second rater ……"

"Less yakkin', more eatin'." Logan suddenly strode into the kitchen, dousing the charged atmosphere faster than a bucket of water. Bobby sank back into his chair and Blizzard tossed both Logan and Kristi a glare before stalking from the room with a face like thunder.

Kristi swivelled in her seat as Logan headed for the coffee pot, seemingly unaware of the situation he'd just interrupted. He caught her eye and looked away quickly, grabbing a mug from the overhead cupboard and filling it with coffee. Breakfast was the one meal of the day when he could be seen with a drink other than beer in his hand.

He eyed the softly chattering students over the top of his mug for a moment, weighing up the innocent atmosphere. Betsy tossed him a glance which clearly said some sort of telepathic exchange had just occurred. He passed Kristi another discreet look, sending a rapid image of himself standing with a claw to Blizzard's throat. Kristi smiled to herself as she turned back to her breakfast. His outward demeanour was all a front – he knew exactly what he had interrupted.

With a low rumble, he put his mug down on the counter top beside him and leaned back. "Armor, Mirage, Firefly, don't ferget ya have a defence class with me in fifteen minutes. I'll take it personal if yer late."

Gina swivelled in her seat to flash him a smile. "We won't be late," she assured him. "We're almost finished."

Logan nodded. "An' if ya see Blaze an' Psyche on yer way ta the Danger Room, tell 'em if they're late ta one more session they'll get extra practise. I don't tolerate tardiness on my shift."

Several of the more seasoned trainees seated around the table actually gulped at this, having being on the receiving end of Logan's punishment regime in the past. He was well known for his willingness to push a disobedient student well beyond tolerance levels.

Kristi got up and moved to the coffee pot, in the guise of refilling her mug. This close to Logan, she could smell the new leather of his black fighting uniform, and she breathed deeply, savouring the scent. Recently, Jean had decided that the old brightly coloured uniforms were outdated and fussy, and had taken it upon herself to design new ones. She had come up with designs in black leather which were all variations on a theme, but which were hardwearing and serviceable, and allowed their wearers to mix comfortably with the general populace and not look out of place. Wolverine's uniform comprised black leather trousers and Kevlar enhanced jacket, which he usually wore over a simple black spandex T-shirt – or occasionally over no T-shirt at all, which always set Kristi's pulse racing. The team's trademark gold X adorned the jacket's collar and the backs of his gloves, which were currently tucked into his belt. Kristi had purposely chosen a more feminine version of Wolverine's new look, wearing _her_ new jacket over a gold T-shirt, specifically chosen to compliment her power signature. In her opinion, Wolverine had always looked hot in his old yellow and blue spandex, but the new uniform definitely had the 'Wow' factor.

Kristi helped herself to milk and sugar, deliberately taking her time. "I was worried about you yesterday," she whispered softly, knowing his enhanced hearing would pick up her words perfectly.

He leaned forward to snag a piece of toast, using the movement as cover to whisper back. "No need. I was fine. Just remembered somethin' I had ta do, that's all."

Kristi frowned, sensing his evasion. He was keeping something from her, and she knew it, but before she could come up with a reply Jubilee barrelled into the kitchen as if the very hounds of hell were right behind her.

"Guys! Hey, guys, listen up! There's going to be a barbecue tomorrow!"

"A barbecue?" Bobby looked up from his breakfast with a frown.

"Sure, Drake, a barbecue! Y'know, food an' stuff. Outside. In the open." Jubilee snagged Logan's piece of toast from his fingers, earning herself a low growl, which she totally ignored.

"I know what a barbecue is, Lee, but who says we're having one?"

"Scott an' Jean just told me." Jubilee plonked herself down on a chair and waved the piece of toast dramatically. "I am the bearer of glad tidings, so rejoice! It has been formally announced that the whole team and resident students will gather for a day of wholesome food and frivolities at the boathouse tomorrow! Attendance isn't compulsory, but the Professor'll take it personally if ya don't turn up, seeing as he's organising the shindig!"

An excited babble of voices greeted her words, punctuated by a comment from Paige. "But it's not warm enough for a barbecue. It's only March."

"Which is why we have a weather witch on the team," remarked Ororo, entering the kitchen just then and overhearing Paige's words. "Do not worry about the weather. It will be warm enough."

"Alright!" cheered Bobby, enthusiastically, punching the air. "Yay for the Prof!"

Gina caught Ororo's eye. "Do you think it would be alright if I asked a friend along?" she ventured, somewhat hesitantly.

Ororo smiled. "Gina, you need never ask permission to bring Mark to the mansion," she said softly, correctly guessing the reason for the young girl's question. "You and your friends did us all a great service and we will be forever in your debt."

"Thanks, Ororo." Gina stood, pushing back her chair with an excited grin. "I'll go and give him a call now, before he leaves for work."

"Hey, Gina, don't forget to tell him to bring that yummy friend of his!" called Paige, as Gina left the kitchen. "He's a bit of alright, that one!"

"Hey!" Jubilee turned sideways in her seat to toss Paige a withering glare. "Hands off! I saw him first!"

"So what, Jubes?" Paige sat back in her seat, arms folded in a satisfactory fashion. "He's too old for you. But just right for me!" She winked at her fuming team-mate.

Jubilee was just forming a scathing reply when a hand dropped onto her shoulder. She tilted her head back and looked up into the stern face of her mentor. She waggled her fingers at him. "Hi, Wolvie!"

Logan gave her a look which clearly said there'd be trouble if she even had the slightest intention of making ga-ga eyes at a guy who was six years her senior, then stalked back to his coffee, point made. Jubilee poked her tongue out at him behind his back, making Firefly snort into her cereal.

"Mr Logan, will you be going to the barbecue?" asked Hisako, innocently. "It sounds like fun."

Logan shook his head. "I don't think so, Hisako. I don't do picnics."

"Bull!" retorted Jubilee, crossly, still piqued at being warned off looking at Coffey. "You've joined us at the lake loads of times. Don't tell me you're on one of your macho loner stunts again."

Logan's eyes narrowed and a low growl rumbled around the kitchen, causing most of the students to suddenly take an intense interest in their food. He was prepared to make many sacrifices for Jubilee's sake, but being snapped at in front of a group of trainees by a fourteen year old definitely drew the line.

"If Wolverine does not wish to go to the barbecue, then respect his decision and leave him alone, Jubilee," broke in Ororo, recognising the awkward situation and reacting quickly to diffuse it. "After all, I am sure he has better things to do than lie about with a group of rowdy youngsters all afternoon."

Logan grunted, but said nothing in return. Jubilee shrugged. "Fine. Don't go. Miss all the fun. See if I care."

Under the pretence of reaching for another piece of toast, Kristi managed to move nearer to Logan. "Y'know, Logan, I really would enjoy your company at the barbecue tomorrow," she said, softly. "Are you sure you won't go?"

Logan considered a moment, before shaking his head. "Picnics aren't my style, Kris. I'd only be in the way."

"But ……"

"To tell the truth, the Harley's been stallin' somewhat lately. I thought I'd strip her down tomorrow an' find the problem before it's too late."

Kristi nodded slowly, recognising an excuse when she saw one. "Okay," she managed to say. "Some other time maybe?"

Logan nodded and Kristi returned to her breakfast, but now it tasted like ashes in her mouth ……

**NEXT: **Will Logan have a change of heart? Or is he simply destined for more pain?


	5. Barbecues and Blues

Hey, everybody, welcome to the next chapter! Just to clear one or two things up, I know several of you have pointed out that Logan is being a *** and should get his act together, but believe me, there is a reason for it, which will all become clear in a couple of chapter's time! Bear with me, people, things are about to get exciting!!

Once again, I am grateful to all my dedicated reviewers! I appreciate the time you take to tell me what you think! **Frozen Voices, wolfbane17, Sabrielle-X, nileena **and** Laudine **- I thank you for your input!

And now, onward - I think the burgers are burning ...... !

**5. Barbecues and Blues**

**Wolverine:**

The day of the barbecue dawned bright and clear, only needing some minor tweaking on Storm's part to raise the temperature enough for sunbathing and swimming. As soon as breakfast was over, excited students made their way noisily to the boathouse, fully intending to make the most of the day's frivolities. They were accompanied by Ororo and Betsy, taking on the dubious honour of chaperone and lifeguard until the rest of the faculty and the older students finished with the morning chores and joined them.

Despite his words to Kristi the previous day, and against his better judgement, Logan found himself making his way down to the lakeside later that afternoon. He hadn't intended it that way. Put off by the merry making and the general hub-hub around the mansion that morning, he had remained in his room until well after breakfast and the last of the youngsters had departed for the lake, leaving the mansion in blessed silence. He had then picked up the Honour Sword and spent a couple of hours running through the forms in the Danger Room, which relaxed his mind somewhat. Afterwards, he had showered and headed down to the garage, fully intending to fool around with the Harley for a while and then take it for a run, but somehow his feet turned left when they should have turned right and, before he even realised what had happened, he found himself walking through the trees, heading for the lake.

His thoughts turned bleak as he passed the spot where he had blacked out several days before. There was nothing to mark the spot where he had lain, but the memory of that morning was all but burned into his brain, along with the pain he had suffered. He had a theory what was causing the blackouts, but no concrete evidence to support it but, being Logan, he had no intention of going to anyone who could help him sort it out. He didn't even know if there _was_ anyone who could help him sort it out. In his opinion, this was something he had to figure out alone.

He could hear the merriment at the lake long before he reached the X-Men's favourite picnic place. He advanced slowly now, taking full advantage of the cover provided by the trees and making scarcely a sound on the dry ground beneath. When the shoreline came into view, he chose a place where he could observe unseen and hunkered down beneath a tree, adjusting his cowboy hat to shield his eyes.

The frivolities were already in full swing. Many of the youngsters had taken to the water, splashing about and dunking each other under the watchful eye of Remy LeBeau, who was sitting on the dock, casually twirling a playing card between his fingers. A few of the more energetic students were chasing a Frisbee while the older girls, figuring themselves too dignified for all the ungainly dashing about, were sunning themselves on blankets cast on the grass. The X-Men themselves were also taking advantage of the rare opportunity to let their figurative hair down – he spotted Henry sitting beneath a tree reading a medical journal, and even the Professor was present – he had parked his chair in a shady spot and was chatting animatedly with Betsy, uncharacteristically dressed in a pair of tan shorts and a beige shirt. He still managed to project a aura of calm authority despite the dress down.

Despite having joined many an occasion like this one, as Jubilee had so forcefully pointed out the day before, something made him hang back from this particular gathering. If asked, he would have been hard pressed to say why. His instincts seemed to be guiding him on this one and, for the moment, Logan was content to follow them.

His nostrils flared as the mouth watering aroma of flame grilled beef drifted to him on the breeze. Scott was cooking up a mean barbecue, deftly turning the burgers arranged on the grill so they wouldn't burn. Logan's stomach rumbled and he was reminded he had eaten nothing at breakfast. But he held his place, content for the moment to just observe and enjoy the aromas. There would be time enough for eating later.

He unconsciously took a head count, his eyes lingering for a while on Jean, who was wearing a rich forest green bikini, which perfectly set off the colour of her hair. He clicked his tongue ruefully at what might have been, if things had turned out differently. The Wolverine and the Phoenix. What a pairing that would have been!

Logan looked sharply to the side as Cannonball suddenly blasted into the sky with all the grace of a runaway rocket, describing a lazy arc. At the apex of his curve, he let his power cut out and fell back to the lake, whooping all the way down. His splash landing was probably heard all the way back at the mansion.

A round of applause heralded his return to the surface and Logan twisted slightly to see Jubilee sitting on the bank, clapping enthusiastically at his performance. And there, standing next to her, was Kristi. A low growl rumbled in his chest at the first sight of his mate, and he felt his heart-rate quicken as she reached up to tie her hair back with a blue ribbon, unconsciously accentuating the full length of her young but supple figure. Wearing a pair of cut off shorts and a cotton blouse which she had tied under her breast to reveal a finely toned stomach, she cut a heady image and Logan found himself aching to take her into his arms and press heated kisses to that creamy flesh. The beast within him backed up that notion, conjuring up images of Kristi writhing beneath him and softly whispering his name as they made love under the stars. A snarl and a muttered oath forced the image and the beast back down into the abyss where they belonged.

The intensity of his feelings towards the girl actually surprised him. He would be the first to admit that she wasn't the type of woman he was normally attracted to – she was young, for one thing. And while she looked as sexy as hell in her current attire, he usually favoured a more voluptuous figure – and red hair. But, in his own gruff and complicated manner, he loved her – a love that was intensified by the bond they shared. And that's where the problem lay.

Logan would be the first to admit that he was a very complex individual. There were things in his past that would forever remain a mystery to him – hell, he didn't even know his own real name. But one event from his past would never be erased from his memory and it was this that stopped him from committing fully to Kristi. It gnawed at him constantly, distracting him when he should be focused, tormenting him whenever Kristi was near. Worse was the knowledge of what he must be putting Kristi through. He could feel her confusion and her hurt whenever he turned away from her and yet she had never complained – never accused him of abandoning her. She loved and trusted him implicitly – he could feel her unconditional devotion through the bond they shared, yet he was treating her with no more respect than a worn out pair of shoes. He knew he should go to her and discuss the problem openly, assure her that this was not her fault. But he was not a man who found it easy to discuss his inner feelings with anyone, even if that person was his mate. Once a loner, always a loner. How could he break the habit of a lifetime, even if that lifetime could only be measured by the last fifteen years?

He sighed and reached into his jacket's inner pocket for a cigar, patting the other pockets in search of a match. The only one capable of scenting the smoke was Henry, but the breeze was blowing away from the cat-like mutant, so Logan was confident that he wouldn't reveal his hiding place. He still wasn't sure why he was lurking in the trees, except that his instincts were telling him it was the right thing to do and they were not usually wrong.

He winced as twin squeals assaulted his ears and he glanced left to see Gina bounding into the clearing, followed by Hudson and Coffey. A surge of gratitude went out to the two former guards, but he growled only seconds later as Jubilee jumped up from her blanket to fling herself into Coffey's arms. He looked shocked by the youngster's attention and patted her back awkwardly. Logan half rose from his crouch, intending to march over there and give the girl a serious talking to. _She's fourteen, fer Chrissakes!_ But as Jubilee broke from the embrace to grin up at the flustered guard, Paige skipped over and grabbed his arm, dragging him over to her little group of giggling friends. Jubilee returned to her blanket, gesturing wildly at Kristi.

Logan grinned at her protestations, then stood and tapped out his cigar against the bark of a tree. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to make an appearance and stick around for a while. The burgers Scott was cooking up sure smelled good and he was hungry. Besides, somebody needed to be around to stop Jubilee from making a fool of herself over a guy six years her senior.

He was about to move forward out of the tree-line when Blizzard appeared, rising up from the water after taking a swim. The hackles on Logan's neck rose and he growled softly, the sound vibrating in his chest. He couldn't explain it, but something about the boy set off all his warning bells. Every fibre of his being screamed at him to attack the young mutant, to settle this before it was too late, and Logan shook his head like a dog, trying to dispel the rage welling up inside him. His fists clenched in an effort not to unsheathe his claws and a tremor ran through his body as he forced himself to turn away from the gathering and melt into the trees.

He hadn't gone more than a few metres when the pain hit like a sledgehammer to the back of the head. He staggered forward, clenching his teeth on the howl that threatened to rip from his throat, drawing blood as his feral canines bit into his lower lip. Lurching into a patch of thick undergrowth, his feet tangled in a concealed tree root, sending him crashing into a bush.

He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

**oooOOOooo**

**Wildstar:**

"So I said to him, you'd better move your eyes, buster, until you're old enough to realise what you're lookin' at!" Jubilee grinned and paused in the relating of her tale to applaud Cannonball, who had just executed a spectacular dive into the lake. "Way to go, Guthrie!"

"So what did he say then?"

"Nothing. What could he say? I was right, after all!"

Kristi shook her head. "I don't know why you take such delight in tormenting the poor guy, Jubilee. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Aw, come on, Kristi, lighten up! The guy's such a dweeb! He deserves all he gets!" Jubilee rolled her eyes at the memory of the recent encounter in the mall and settled her trademark rose tinted sunglasses more comfortably on her nose. "Besides, every time I go into Jessie's he's always there, lurking behind the CD stands. He's not just a dweeb, he's a creepy dweeb!"

Kristi paused in the act of trying back her hair with a ribbon and looked down at her friend with an exasperated sigh. "Jubilee, he's not lurking, he works there after school! And he's not a dweeb or creepy! He's just a poor kid who obviously has a crush on you, although why, when you treat him the way you do, is beyond me."

"He's got spots!" retorted Jubilee, huffily.

"You probably did too, at his age."

"Never! I'm perfect!"

"Modest too!" retorted Kristi, settling down onto the blanket. "I never realised I had such a gifted friend!"

"You'd better believe it!" Jubilee grinned at her friend and settled back on the blanket with her hands behind her head, preparing to soak up some sun. Kristi shielded her eyes with her hand and gazed out across the lake, watching Rogue backstroke lazily along the shoreline. Remy, seated on the landing stage where he was swinging his feet in the water, tried to tempt her near with the promise of a kiss, but she merely splashed water at him and continued on her way. How Remy thought a kiss would tempt her was beyond Kristi's comprehension, as the merest touch of their skin would most likely lay the Cajun out cold. But the pair were deeply in love, despite the handicap and, as they said, love could conquer all.

Pity it didn't hold true in her case. Her own mate was startlingly conspicuous by his absence.

She jumped at stereophonic squeals from both Jubilee and Paige, and turned to see Gina walking towards them, wearing a big grin and towing Coffey and Hudson in her wake.

"They're here!" Jubilee leapt up and flung herself at Coffey, wrapping her arms around his neck and almost knocking him backwards with the force of her hug. "Hey, big guy! We've missed you! How you doing?"

Coffey looked bemused for a moment, wondering what to do with his hands and finally settling for patting her back awkwardly. "Err …… fine, Jubilee. How are you?"

He winced at his lame reply as Hudson chuckled at his friend's discomfort. "I think she likes you, Rik."

Coffey shook his head in surprised wonderment as Jubilee released the hug and grinned up at the former guard. "We're really glad you could come, Rik. Me an' Kristi saved you a place ……."

She was interrupted by Paige, who appeared seemingly from nowhere to place a hand on Coffey's arm. "Hello, Rik," she purred. "It is Rik, isn't it? I've got some friends who'd like to meet you."

Coffey tossed a 'help me' look over his shoulder as she led him away, where he was immediately surrounded by a gaggle of excited females.

Hudson was laughing in amusement as he walked away to say hello to the Professor, completely unsympathetic to his friend's plight, leaving Jubilee staring after Paige with eyes wide.

"What the hell …… ?" She walked back to Kristi, gesturing wildly. "Who the hell does she think she is?"

Kristi stifled a grin. "It's a free world, Jubes. It's not as though you're both engaged or anything."

"No, but all the same ……" Jubilee dropped back onto the blanket, only to jump back up again with a startled yelp as Blizzard walked by, showering her with water. "Hey, watch it, buster!"

"Anytime, sweetie."

"This is not a good place to sit, y'know, Kristi? Too near the water." Jubilee turned huffily to see her friend staring off into the trees. "Hey, what's up?"

Kristi was miles away. "Hmm?"

"I said, what's the matter? Have you spotted something? And if so, is it something I should get alarmed about or can I get back to my sunbathing here?"

"What? Oh. No, it's nothing, Jubilee. I just thought I saw …… sensed ……"

"Who? Or should I say what?"

Kristi shook her head, distractedly. "Sorry, Jubes. I guess it's just my mind playing tricks on me."

Blizzard, towelling his hair nearby, grinned at the two girls. "What's the matter, Kristi? Looking for your boyfriend?"

"Oh, get lost, Daniel. I haven't got a boyfriend."

Blizzard snorted. "Oh, come on! I refuse to believe that a good looking girl like you isn't attached to someone."

Despite the fact that she didn't like Blizzard, Kristi was actually intrigued. "Is there some sort of unwritten law that says I should be dating?" she asked, coolly.

Blizzard considered this for a moment. "Hell, no! But it's an interesting prospect."

Kristi sighed. "Just what are you trying to say, Daniel?"

Blizzard crouched down in the grass at her side. "Just that I was wondering if maybe you an' me could go out sometime. We could have a quiet meal somewhere, maybe shoot some pool at a bar I know."

"Buzz off, Blizzard! She's not interested!"

"Did I ask you, Jubilee? I was talking to the lady"

Jubilee bristled, but Kristi lay a restraining hand on her young friend's arm, confused by Blizzard's attitude. This was a side to him that she hadn't seen before. She arranged her features into a polite smile. "Thanks for the offer, Daniel, but no thanks. I'm not in the dating mood."

"You're sure?"

"Quite sure."

Blizzard rose, brushing grass off his swim shorts. "I'll be back. I don't take no for an answer."

"You'd better, 'cause it's the only one you're gonna get."

Blizzard shrugged, feigning nonchalance, and moved away, cursing his bad luck. He knew Kristi would refuse his offer but, for the sake of the plan, he'd had to try. It was no skin off his nose that she hadn't taken him up on it. Her loss, after all.

Once out of immediate eyeshot of the two girls, he turned and looked off into the trees. Something out there had attracted Kristi's attention and he had a feeling he knew what it was.

Grabbing his shirt and a pair of sneakers, Blizzard looked furtively around to make sure he wasn't going to be missed, then ducked into the trees.

It was time to put stage two of his plan into action ……

**NEXT: **Blizzard attacks a senior X-Man and questions are asked!


	6. Unprovoked Attack

Hi everybody! Like the proverbial Roman, I come bearing a new chapter!

Seven reviews for my last chapter - that's a record for me! Thanks, as always, to everyone who took the time to let me know how I'm doing! **Sabrielle-X, FrozenVoices, Sarra Ambrai, nileena, Laudine, wolfbane17 **and **12kirby12!**

Let our story commence ...... !!

**6. Unprovoked Attack**

Logan kicked up the stand on his bike and began to wheel it towards the open garage doors, ignoring the other vehicles standing silently like rows of sentinels in the dark. He hadn't bothered with the garage lights, partly because he could see perfectly well without them, but also so as not to alert anyone in the mansion to his presence, although he figured he should be safe from discovery at this hour. His body clock told him it was well past midnight – the barbecue had ended hours ago and most of the students and faculty should have taken to their beds by now. All he wanted to do right now was hit the open road and let the wind and the solitude ease his troubled mind.

He had almost reached the doors when his nose alerted him to a presence seconds before the garage lights flicked on, momentarily blinding him and robbing him of his night sight. "God-dammit!" Blinking back the tears from his light blinded eyes, he looked up to see Blizzard standing in the doorway, partially blocking it. Dressed in a pair of sweats and a hooded top with the team's trademark X emblazoned on the shoulder, he tilted his head to the side, favouring Logan with a smug grin.

Logan stopped, his eyes narrowing.

"Going somewhere, Wolverine?"

"What if I am?"

"Oh, I dunno. Just wondered."

"Well, when ya've finished wonderin', ya might try getting' outta my way. I've got things ta do."

"At this hour?" Blizzard made a show of checking his watch. "It's twelve thirty in the morning, Wolverine. What could possibly be so important that it has to be done now, in the middle of the night, when all good little X-Men should be tucked up in their beds?"

Logan stifled a growl. "I don't have ta answer ta a jumped up little upstart like you. Now get outta my way."

But Blizzard stayed put, nonchalantly folding his arms and leaning against the door jamb. "Y'know, you're a hard man to find, Wolverine. I've been searching all over the mansion for you. Never thought to look here. I'll know better next time."

Logan saw no reason to explain to Blizzard that he had spent the majority of the afternoon lying unconscious in a bush. There were some things the boy just didn't need to know. Neither was it any of his business. So Blizzard had been looking for him, had he? If he wasn't so tired, Logan would have been intrigued.

He sighed and nudged the bike stand down with his boot, letting the Harley rest on its own. It was obvious Blizzard hadn't searched him out just to find out where he was going, but there was something about the boy's attitude that was setting his warning bells off. "Spill it, Blizzard. If ya've got somethin' ta say, just say it an' quit beatin' around the bush."

Blizzard, however, tilted his head, curiously. "You don't like me much, do you, Wolverine?"

"No, I don't."

"Why?"

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe the fact that ya almost got two of the team killed the other day has somethin' ta do with it."

"Killed?" Blizzard snorted, arrogantly. "That's exactly the kind of over-reaction I should have expected from you, Wolverine. It was a mistake. Nothing more."

"So you say." Logan wasn't feeling charitable.

Blizzard sighed, dramatically. "We really have started off on the wrong foot here, haven't we?"

Logan merely shrugged in reply. The boy was holding him up and his limited supply of patience was wearing thin. "Have ya finished?"

"You know, your attitude really stinks, Wolverine. It's no wonder you're a loner."

_Aha, so now we come ta the point._ Logan folded his arms in retaliation and leaned against the Harley. He had the feeling Blizzard was up to something and he wanted to find out what. "If I'm a loner, it's by choice, Blizzard. It has nothin' ta do with my attitude."

"A loner by choice? Nobody's a loner by choice, Wolverine. You're deludin' yourself." Blizzard considered this a moment and then threw a curveball. "I honestly don't know what Wildstar sees in you."

Logan blinked in surprise. "Wildstar? What's Kristi got ta do with this?"

"Well, it's obvious you an' Kristi are an item."

Logan had recovered from his surprise enough to growl in response. "On who's say so?"

"Now, that's just it." Blizzard actually looked genuinely puzzled by the question. "I know something's going on between you, but whenever I ask about it everyone denies all knowledge. Even her best friend says she knows nothing."

_What the …… ?_ Blizzard had been asking about him and Kristi? Logan straightened up from the bike and managed to keep his expression neutral as he replied. "If nobody knows anythin', kinda blows yer theory outta the water, don't it?"

"Not likely! I've seen the way she looks at you. The girl's obviously in love!"

Logan narrowed his eyes, considering his options. The conversation had taken an unsettling turn and he needed to cut and run without drawing suspicion to himself. The boy was coming a little too close to the truth for comfort.

He schooled his face into an expression of boredom. "Look, Blizzard, if ya've got a point, come to it. Time's wastin' here."

"My point is, Wolverine, that Wildstar's too good for you an' if I play my cards right I may just get her to trade up."

Logan couldn't stop the growl that rumbled around his chest. "You leave Kristi out o' this. If ya got a beef with me, that's fine, but Kristi's no part of it."

Blizzard grinned, maliciously. "So, finally struck a nerve, have I?"

Logan's growl went up a notch. He could feel his temper rising and he struggled to keep hold of it. "Did ya come here for a fight, boy? 'Cause the way yer goin' ya sure as hell gonna get one."

"Oh, I came here for more than a fight, Wolverine. I came here to tell you exactly what I think of you." Blizzard advanced several steps, finger raised accusingly. "You're an arrogant, animalistic moron, Wolverine, who's too stupid to realise the world has no place for him anymore. And the sooner Wildstar realises this, the better."

The final straw had just been taken. Logan dropped into a fighting crouch, fists raised. His claws unsheathed with a sharp 'snikt'. "Boy, them's fightin' words ……"

Blizzard laughed, beckoning Wolverine on. "That's it, fella, attack me with your claws. Attack an unarmed man. Prove me right!"

Despite the feral rage clouding his brain, Logan hesitated, some primal instinct telling him something was wrong. Why was Blizzard so desperate for him to attack? Although every fibre of his being was screaming at him to leap for the grinning mutant standing before him and smash him into submission, he resolutely held his ground, struggling to work out what was going on through the red haze of his rage.

Blizzard frowned. "What are you waitin' for, X-Man?" He raised a hand, beckoning Wolverine forward with waggling fingers. "Why don't you attack? Slash me with your claws? Come on, you animal! Attack me!"

Even through the rising beserker fury, Logan finally figured out what was going on. His voice was gruff as he managed to arrange his thoughts sufficiently enough to form a reply. "Ya'd like that, wouldn't ya, Blizzard? Ya _want_ me ta attack – prove ta ya that I'm a savage beast." He paused, letting the rage subside further and, when he spoke again, his voice sounded more normal. "Any other time, yer trick mighta worked." Logan's claws slid back into their housings with a metallic 'snakt'. "But not today, bub. Not today."

"You disappoint me, Wolverine. I had hoped you would be more obliging." Blizzard actually looked annoyed. He turned slightly in the doorway as though he was about to leave, but his posture was tense, and he was watching Wolverine slyly from the corner of one eye, waiting for an opening.

Logan unfortunately gave him one. Thinking the confrontation was over, he turned back to his bike, disregarding the young mutant and showing him his back. Ordinarily, he would never have made such an error in basic fighting tactics, but his mind was elsewhere, still focused on the open road and his need to vacate the mansion for a while. His lapse of concentration was the answer to Blizzard's prayers.

The young mutant turned sharply, flinging out his hands. Logan was totally unprepared for the blast of icy cold which hit him squarely between the shoulders, knocking him forward. He landed heavily on the tiled floor and slid on his stomach, propelled by the force of Blizzard's blast. Helpless to stop his forward motion, his head connected sharply with the alloy wheel of Professor Xavier's Jaguar and he slumped down with a pained groan, leaving a smear of blood across the tyre.

Blizzard laughed. "Not so big now, are ya, X-Man? Let's see if ya can take the medicine as well as ya dish it out."

Another wave of blistering cold hit Logan as he rolled to his knees, knocking him back to create a fair sized dent in the pristine paintwork of the car behind him. With his hands braced on the door, Logan struggled to rise, but Blizzard relentlessly forced him back down to his knees, keeping the feral right where he wanted him. Stunned, Logan belatedly realised that this was no longer a casual confrontation. Their newest X-Man actually meant to do him harm.

He gasped as an icy shard whipped past his head, cutting so deeply into his temple that, for a couple of seconds, his adamantium laced skull shone beneath the skin. Blizzard laughed at that and sent more shards at him, shouting in triumph as each one scored a hit. Logan put his head down to protect his eyes, shuddering at each cut, but slowly, ever so slowly, beginning to inch his way forward across the floor, crawling on his stomach to protect his vital organs from the shards, letting his skull and his back take the brunt of the attack.

The tactic was lost on Blizzard, who probably should have spent less time dreaming of revenge and more time listening in Scott's basic battle tactics lesson. He laughed, letting his frigid attack lesson slightly as he taunted the X-Man before him. "Yer whipped, Wolverine! Yer not so tough. I've got ya crawlin' like a mangy dog! An' ya know what? I'm enjoyin' this!" He flung another blast of blistering cold at Logan, pushing him back slightly on the ice slick floor. "I'm gonna make ya suffer, ya freak o' nature! I could ice ya real quick, but I ain't gonna! Yer gonna freeze long an' slow, Wolverine!"

Logan gasped as Blizzard intensified his attack, fighting for air, feeling the icy sharpness of it course down into his lungs, painfully. His arms felt heavy and numb with cold, his metal skeleton transmitting the frigid iciness throughout his body like a reverse conductor, literally freezing him from the inside out. Stubbornly, he struggled forward, unsheathing his claws to anchor himself to the ground, crawling forward inch by painful inch. He was startlingly aware that his body was slowing as the cold took its toll. He had to do something to save himself soon, or it would be too late.

In the end, salvation came from outside sources. The door leading to the interior of the mansion banged open and Jean appeared on the step, looking like a fiery avenging angel, despite her robe and fluffy slippers.

"What the hell's going on here?"

Logan rolled over with a groan as Blizzard's onslaught ceased, gasping at the pain in his limbs. Blizzard pointed an accusing finger. "It was him! He started it! Went for me with those damn claws o' his! He's crazy!"

Jean's eyes flashed angrily. "I don't care who started this, Blizzard. Get out of here before I do something I'll regret later."

Blizzard turned and ran, unwilling to face Jean's anger. Satisfied that he was out of the way and would not be coming back, she hurried to Logan's side, slipping slightly on the still icy floor. Despite his protests, she helped him to stand up, where he swayed unsteadily as he waited for his healing factor to kick in. She knew Logan didn't like to be fussed over, but he was covered in nicks and deep gouges from Blizzard's ice shards and blood had soaked into his shirt and jeans.

He shuddered as his healing factor worked on a particularly deep cut in his scalp. "Logan, are you okay?"

"Boy packs a mean punch, but I'll live." Logan reached up to brush ice particles out of his hair, scattering them about himself and making his hair seem even wilder, if that was at all possible. He looked sideways at Jean. "I didn't start this, Jean, no matter what the boy says."

"Care to tell me what did start it?" Jean looked back at her team-mate earnestly, willing him to open up to her. One X-Man attacking another was a serious breach of conduct – one which could get the perpetrator expelled from the team.

Logan shook his head slowly, taking his time to collect his thoughts, unsure just how much he should tell her. Jean stood back as he brushed himself off, giving him time, knowing he would only speak when he was good and ready.

He finally sighed, wearily. "It's no secret I've never taken ta Blizzard, Jean, but I honestly didn't start this. He goaded me – deliberately tried ta get me mad enough ta fight him. When I didn't, he attacked."

"Do you know why?"

"No."

"Did Kristi have anything to do with this?"

Logan's eyes narrowed, warily. "Why do you ask?"

"You're as difficult to read as ever, Logan, but I'm receiving strong impressions of anger and betrayal from you, also images of Kristi."

Logan hesitated a moment. "Blizzard used Kristi as a way o' goadin' me inta fightin'," he finally admitted.

"Any idea why?"

Jean wasn't surprised when Logan chose to remain silent. She patted his arm comfortingly, unsure whether to continue along this track of conversation or not. Logan was an extremely private individual and probably would not appreciate the intrusion, but over the last few days Jean had noticed signs of distress in both him and Kristi and could not help but feel that they needed some sort of aid, whether they realised it or not. Never one to abandon a friend in need, she decided to take the bull by the horns and suffer the consequences later, if need be. She might not have a quiet moment alone with Logan again for weeks and she couldn't afford to miss the opportunity.

She watched as Logan walked unsteadily across the garage towards his bike. As he checked it for damage, she moved to join him. "Logan, would you mind if I talked candidly to you?"

Logan eyed her, warily. "What about?"

"About Kristi." Jean braced for the outburst, but when Logan merely looked back at her, leaning nonchalantly against his bike, she took heart and decided to plough ahead. "I've been watching you both lately and you seem to be troubled. Care to tell me why?"

Logan looked back at her, several emotions all seeming to battle for dominance of his features and finally settling for one of cool indifference. "Can't answer fer Kristi, darlin'," he drawled, easily. "Why don't ya ask her?"

Jean smiled at him, warmly. "While I appreciate your desire for privacy, Logan, I fear I must admit that I have known about you and Kristi for quite some time now. And if you are having problems I want to help you."

Logan actually growled at her and Jean took a step back in surprise. "Been pryin' again, Jeannie?"

"Not intentionally, old friend." Jean moved closer and put her hand on his shoulder. "Please don't feel bad of me, Logan. Kristi is obviously deeply in love with you and sometimes, when I'm helping her maintain her shields, the intensity of her feelings for you …… leak through."

Logan grimaced. "I shoulda figured. Does anybody else know?"

Jean bit her lip. "Just Scott. I'm sorry, Logan."

"S'okay, Jeannie. Not your fault." It took him a moment to adjust to the fact that their leader was fully aware of his and Kristi's relationship. If he was brutally honest, he was surprised he hadn't tried to warn him off. His estimation of Scott went up a notch, although he suspected Jean had had a hand in his silence somewhere along the line.

Jean allowed her team-mate his moment of silent reflection. "Don't feel too bad about this, Logan. I think it's wonderful that you and Kristi have connected." Logan huffed at that – Jean didn't realise just how 'connected' they truly were and he wasn't about to enlighten her. "But Kristi's thoughts have turned troubled of late and I want to help, if I can."

Logan moved away from her then, walking slowly across the garage to stand before Rogue's sports car. He studied it silently for a moment, distractedly running a hand along the glossy red paintwork. When he turned back, his expression was one of resignation and relief.

"I didn't intend fer any o' this ta happen, Jean, but somehow, Kristi an' me, we seemed ta click right from the start." _Definite understatement there, Logan. _"She can be annoyin' as hell sometimes, but …… she's a part o' me now." _Yeah, right. _"I find myself lookin' forward to her company an' missin' her when she's not there."

Jean smiled, warmly. "That's usually what happens when two people fall in love, Logan." She propped herself against the bike seat and folded her arms. "So where does the problem come in?"

Logan hesitated a moment, running a hand absently through his hair, mussing it slightly. It wasn't easy for him to bare his feelings, but implicit trust in Jean made him continue. "I can't help feelin' I'm bein' unfaithful ta Mariko's memory. It's all I can think about, Jean, an' it's drivin' a wedge between me an' Kristi'"

"But Mariko loved you, Logan," stated Jean, matter-of-factly. "She'd want you to be happy."

"I know that, Jean, but ……" Logan broke off, unable to find the words he needed to say, frowning in annoyance. He gestured sharply with one hand. "Ah, the hell with it, Jean. It ain't worth it."

"Of course it's worth it, Logan." Jean moved to stand before him, taking his hands in hers. She looked straight into his eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"With my life, Jeannie. You know that."

"Then trust me in this, Logan. Mariko loved you – loved you so much she consented to be your wife. And, although things didn't work out as planned, she never harboured any ill will towards you. She loved you to the end, Logan. Do you honestly believe she would deny you the chance to be happy with Kristi?"

Logan hesitated. "No," he said, finally. "But ……"

"There are no 'buts', Logan." Jean squeezed his hand. "You're not being unfaithful to Mariko's memory by pursuing a relationship with Kristi, you're honouring it. She would not want you to pine after her for the rest of your life. You deserve some happiness, Logan, and if you've found it with Kristi, then go for it. Be daring, for once in your life!"

Logan couldn't help snorting at that and Jean laughed. "Promise me you'll think about what I've said, Logan. Kristi's a lovely girl and she seems so right for you. It would be a shame if you lost her. At the very least, you could try telling her what you've just told me. It wouldn't hurt for you to open up to her a little. It could help the pair of you sort things out."

Logan nodded and Jean leaned forward to kiss his cheek, releasing his hands as she drew back. "I really ought to get back to bed. Scott'll wonder where I've gone if he wakes." She pulled her robe more tightly about herself and regarded Logan keenly. "Are you coming?"

Logan cocked an eyebrow at her and she laughed, wagging a finger at him. "Stop that! You know what I mean!"

Logan shook his head. "Nah." He moved back to the bike, kicking up the stand. "I got some thinkin' ta do."

Jean smiled. "Okay. Take care, Logan."

"Always, Jean." He began to push the bike towards the door, then stopped and turned. "Thanks. Fer everythin'."

"You're welcome."

He was about to turn away when something else came to mind. "Oh, Jean? Tell Chuck I'm sorry about his Jag."

"The Jaguar?" Jean turned to look at the car as Logan disappeared out of the garage door, noticing the dent for the first time. Her eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, bugger …..!"

**NEXT: **Professor Xavier's solution to the attack doesn't go down well with Scott and Jean.


	7. Misguided Intentions

Hey everyone! This chapter should go some way towards answering the questions you've all been asking! Or it might just confuse you even more ..... who knows!!

Once again, a warm thank you to all my reviewers! **Sabrielle-X, FrozenVoices, Laudine, wolfbane17 **and **12kirby12! **I appreciate the time you take in order to let me know how I'm doing!

Onward .... our story awaits ...... !

**ooXoo**

**7. Misguided Intentions**

Professor Xavier looked up from the papers on his desk as a polite knock sounded at his oak panelled study door. "Come."

Scott Summers entered, followed closely by his fiancée. He closed the door softly behind them and they crossed the floor to stand before Xavier's desk. The Professor indicated they should be seated and studied each of them carefully before speaking.

"Thank you, both of you, for taking time out of your schedules to attend me this morning."

"It was the least we could do, sir," replied Scott, easily.

Xavier nodded. "You have probably surmised that I wish to speak to you concerning last night's …… incident between Wolverine and Blizzard." The Professor made a steeple of his fingers and regarded his X-Men keenly over the top of it. "I have already spoken to both of them this morning. Each claims the other started the fight."

"They said as much to me, too," admitted Jean.

"And your impressions are?"

Jean hesitated a moment, frowning. "Logan may be a lot of things, Professor, but he certainly isn't a liar. I believe him. Despite not being able to read him telepathically, I received strong impressions of disbelief and betrayal from him, which would not have been so had he started the fight."

Professor Xavier nodded, thoughtfully. "Thank you, Jean. That's very interesting. Scott, do you have a thought to add?"

The man called Cyclops inched forward slightly in his seat. "I think so, Professor. We all know how volatile Logan can be at times and he's made no secret of the fact that he doesn't like Blizzard. But he's mellowed a lot over his years with the team and I honestly don't think he'd attack a fellow X-Man without a damn good reason. But someone started the fight and it all boils down to who. I'm inclined to believe it was Blizzard. We all saw how Logan reacted when Daniel messed up the training session the other day and, while I admit that this makes it seem as though Logan is guilty as sin, I honestly think that Daniel was so ticked off at being singled out for the blame that he actively sought Logan out and started the fight himself. I know it doesn't seem fair to accuse the new guy, Professor, but Daniel had no other reason for being in the garage last night."

Xavier nodded. "That's a valid point, Scott, and I appreciate your honesty. I must admit that it bothered me that both Daniel and Logan claimed the other had started the fight and, while Logan seemed to have taken the most punishment, this doesn't mean that he didn't start it. However, considering the evidence, I have been forced to conclude that Logan is most probably the innocent party in this matter."

Scott let out a breath that he didn't realise he'd been holding. "So you're going to punish Daniel then, Professor?"

"No, Scott. I am not."

This revelation hit Scott and Jean like a ton of bricks. In all their days at the school, they had never heard of a student not being punished for wrongdoing. And for something as serious as attacking a senior X-Man, Daniel should have been removed from the team and made to give up all privileges for at least six months – at the very least.

Scott leaned forward in his seat. "If I may ask, Professor, why not?"

Xavier sighed, as if the answer was perfectly obvious. "Because Daniel claims innocence, Scott. And I will not punish a student who claims innocence."

"But he's just saying that, Professor. You said yourself that Logan is the innocent party. And, while I don't take a perverse pleasure from punishing students, we can't have them attacking senior X-Men and thinking they can get away with it. Discipline would go right out the window."

"I said Logan is 'probably innocent', Scott. There is still an element of doubt. And while that doubt exists, I will not take the chance of punishing an innocent man."

Scott looked to Jean, anxiously. "But there must be something we can do. Why don't you just mindscan Daniel and settle this once and for all, Professor?"

"You know my feelings on that, Scott, as well as I do. The students have to feel that they are trusted here. If I scanned people's minds at the slightest altercation, I would soon lose that trust and everything I have worked for would begin to fall apart."

Scott nodded, hesitantly. "I understand what you're saying, Professor. But wouldn't it be best for the team if we knew exactly who started the fight and why?"

"No, Scott, I will not violate Daniel's privacy with a mindscan. It goes against everything we stand for."

"So what are we to do?" asked Jean, unhappily.

"For the time being, we should act as though none of this happened, but try to keep an eye on Daniel and find out what prompted the attack. It may be that a simple remark on Logan's part struck a nerve and made Daniel angry. Logan isn't the most tactful person I know and he is inclined to speak first and think later. However, I will not have my X-Men fighting amongst themselves and for that reason alone we must keep the two of them apart as much as possible. Scott, for training purposes, I want you to split the team into two groups, with Wolverine in one and Blizzard in the other. The less they see of each other in the Danger Room, the better."

"Yes, Professor."

"With time and patience, maybe Daniel will come forward and admit his mistake. But until then, we will continue to make him feel welcome here and treat him like part of the family. We need to earn his trust and flush out any ideas he may have that make him feel he must lie to cover up a rash moment." Xavier paused, looking from one to the other. "Any questions?"

"No, Professor."

Jean shook her head, unhappily, unable to trust her emotions enough to speak.

"Then I thank you for your time, and trust in your ability to carry out my wishes in this regard. We must not let this situation colour our opinions of Daniel at all. He needs our help."

Scott and Jean nodded, then rose and let themselves out of the study. Once out in the hallway, they made their way silently to the den which, at this early hour, was deserted. Jean sank into a chair, while Scott leaned unhappily against the fireplace, lost in thought.

"Well," prompted Jean, finally.

"Well what?"

"What do you think to the Professor's solution?"

Scott sighed. "Do you want the truth, Jean? I think he's way off base on this one. He's sure Daniel attacked Logan, yet he won't find out why. What kind of solution is that? A simple mindscan would solve the problem."

"You know how the Professor feels about that, Scott."

"Yes, I do, but there's more at stake here than the Professor's feelings. From your impressions of the fight, Blizzard was pulling out all the stops. What if he truly meant to harm Logan? What if the incident wasn't a simple argument? Don't you think we ought to know?"

Jean sighed. "I agree with what you're saying, Scott, but it isn't as simple as that. The Professor won't agree to mindscan Daniel and a casual scan won't work. The Professor has already started training him in psychic defence techniques. Daniel would know if I tried to read him without permission."

Scott nodded, sadly. Many of the X-Men's foes were telepaths and the team were trained to resist psychic attack. If Daniel was scanned passively, he should be advanced enough in his training to know about it, even if he wasn't experienced enough to resist. But Scott was surprised that Jean had even considered the possibility. Like the Professor, she was opposed to reading people's minds without their permission. That she had considered it meant she was clearly disturbed by the attack on their team-mate.

"You know, this whole situation reminds me of when Logan joined the X-Men," Jean began, drawing her legs up into the chair beneath her. "He just couldn't get on with Angel, do you remember, Scott?"

Scott nodded. "I remember. Warren thought he was a psychopath."

"They hated each other on sight," Jean continued, softly. "And Angel finally left the team because of it. They've managed to straighten themselves out a bit since then, at least enough to work together on the same side without tearing each other apart, but there's still tension between them."

"I hope you're not saying what I think you're trying to say, Jean." Scott's brow creased into a frown.

Jean merely nodded. "Scott, what if history's repeating itself? What if Logan decides to leave because he can't get along with Daniel?"

Scott shook his head. "He won't leave, Jean. At least not permanently."

"How can you be so sure?"

Scott smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging fashion. It was strange to see his fiancée, normally so stoic and full of encouragement for everyone else, needing his assurance now. That it was for fear of Logan leaving did not go un-noticed by the young leader, but this time he had no worries that his fiancée still courted the feral's attentions. She had made her choice and Logan had his own girl now. "He won't leave," he repeated, more forcefully. "Lord knows he's had reason to in the past, yet he's always drifted back after he's had time to cool down. The X-Men are his family now, Jean. He may take off to Madripoor every now and then, and visit Canada to trace his roots, but he'll always come back here. I'm sure of it. Besides, Kristi's here. If they're so in love, as you say, he won't leave her."

Jean wished that made her feel better, but it didn't. Her talk with Logan in the early hours had revealed his qualms at courting Kristi for fear of dishonouring Mariko. If he truly felt this was so, he had no reason to stay if the incident with Blizzard escalated. She desperately hoped her words of advice had gone to his heart.

The two lovers fell silent for a time and then Scott moved slowly away from the fireplace to sit in a chair opposite Jean's. He started moodily into the unlit grate for a moment, then glanced towards his fiancée.

"I pulled Blizzard's records this morning," he announced, sharply. "I thought it might help, but nothing in them suggests why this situation should have happened. He seems to have come from a good family. Parents are British, but moved to Australia shortly after Daniel and his sister were born, followed by another move to the States when they turned sixteen. Near as I can tell, they had a good upbringing. There's certainly nothing to suggest a volatile nature or anything we should be wary of."

"Maybe I ought to have another word with Logan – see if he's got anything new to say on the subject?" suggested Jean. She'd told Scott everything that had been said the night before, apart from their heart to heart about Kristi and Mariko. That was between her and Logan. "Maybe now he's slept on it, he may remember something – anything – that was said or done that may turn out to be important."

"If you're going to talk to him, you'll have to wait until tonight," Scott informed her. "He took off on the Harley right after the Professor spoke to him. To be honest, I think he's sussed the Professor's intention and is keeping out of Blizzard's way so as not to aggravate the situation."

Jean shook her head, sadly. "It isn't right, Scott. Logan shouldn't have to keep out of Blizzard's way. He's a senior X-Man, for heaven's sake! The Professor should have sorted all this out by now."

"You and I know that, Jean, but the Professor obviously thinks otherwise." He reached out to pat her hand. "I think Logan's doing the right thing, hon. Maybe all this will blow over in time."

"Maybe." But Jean wasn't convinced. At a time like this, Logan needed his friends around him. She imagined he must feel as though the one person who should be standing up for him had left him to the mercy of the wolves, and she experienced a sudden surge of annoyance towards the Professor, the man who had sworn to protect his X-Men and uphold certain values. What good were those values now?

Her heart went out to her absent team-mate, hoping that he came to his senses and acted on her advice. Because the one person who could help him through this, was the very person his sense of honour was telling him to avoid.

**oooOOOooo**

Blizzard slipped into his sister's room, turning to lock the door behind him as had become his habit. The first thing he noticed upon turning back was Psyche, sitting cross-legged on her bed, her eyes closed in concentration. Her hands were resting lightly on her knees, and her head was tilted forward slightly, her long black hair falling softly over her shoulders to frame her face. Rachael and Jacquie, watching from the next bed, looked up at his entrance, Rachael putting a finger to her lips to remind him to speak softly while Psyche worked her magic.

"How did it go?" she asked, in a gentle whisper.

Daniel took a seat at the end of the bed, his eyes never leaving their raven haired companion. "Well, I told him I'm innocent, if that's what you mean. Managed to get one or two digs in about the animal too. Being lucky to get away with my life, that sorta thing." He grinned at Rachael, arrogantly. "Guess it's all down to Xavier now," he added, with a meaningful glance towards Psyche.

Rachael smiled back at her brother. "Piece of cake," she declared, confidently. She inclined her head towards the other bed. "Karen says Scott and Jean were called to see the Professor right after you left. So predictable. Always has to discuss things with his troops like a good little marshal."

"They've just left." Psyche's voice attracted their attention and they turned to see the tele-empath take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds before opening her eyes to regard Daniel keenly. "You will not be punished, Blizzard. I have seen to that."

"Never doubted you for a second," grinned Daniel, his eyes shining. "How did Summers take it?"

"Not well," intoned Psyche, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "I would imagine he's feeling mighty confused right now."

"Serves him right," snorted Daniel. "Self righteous idiot."

"I like him," retorted Jacquie, with an indignant pulse of light. "You shouldn't call him names. He's kind."

"He's the enemy, Jacquie, and don't you forget it." Rachael twisted on the bed to wag a finger at the youngster sitting beside her. "He wants mutants to live in peace alongside the humans and we can't allow that. Humans must be wiped off the face of the Earth if mutantkind is to survive, and that includes any mutant who stands with them."

"But I like the people here, they're nice to me and they're my friends," protested Firefly, as her bottom lip began to tremble. She folded her arms, obstinately. "Why do we have to hurt them?"

"For heaven's sake, you know why, Jacquie." Psyche gave her a scathing look. "We told you when we came here not to get involved with these people. Why couldn't you just do as you're told, for once?"

Jacquie's face crumpled and she jumped up and ran around to her own bed, where she threw herself down, laying with her back to her companions and pulsing gently with a soothing light as she cried into her pillow.

Daniel glared at the distraught youngster. "We shouldn't have flamin' well brought her. She's gonna endanger the mission."

"She won't," asserted Psyche. "I can control her as easily as I control Xavier, if need be. Besides, we needed her to back up our cover story."

"She's useless," snorted Daniel, forcefully. "All she does is loll about the place an' get friendly with those damn trainees. We coulda left her back at the base for all the good she does here."

"Leave her alone, Daniel," spoke up Rachael, coming to the youngster's defence. "She's just a kid and she's confused and angry right now. But she won't endanger the mission. She knows what we're fighting for."

"Besides, we've got more important things to think about, than an antsy kid." Psyche leaned forward, her eyes wild with barely repressed excitement. "We had a message from the boss while you were having your little tete a tete with Xavier." Her mouth itched to give their leader his proper title, but all four had been coached never to say his name while at the mansion. It galled her to use a human metaphor for someone so highly revered, but orders were orders.

Blizzard leaned forward, attention immediately drawn. "Why the hell didn't you say so before? What did he say?"

"The machine is ready, so he's moving us up to the next stage of his plan." Blizzard grinned and clicked his fingers at this. "Hammer and Vixen are on their way and will take up positions in Salem Center to await further orders. If all goes well, the X-Men will be ours within the week."

"Excellent!" Blizzard turned to share a triumphant grin with his twin. "There's just time for me to take one or two more shots at Wolverine. I thought I might try tamperin' with the brakes on his bike next and ……" He broke off as he noticed Blaze and Psyche exchange glances. "What?"

"You'll have to tell him, Karen," prompted Rachael. "Otherwise he'll find out the hard way."

"Tell me what?" Daniel eyed the tele-empath, warily.

"The boss wants you to lay off Wolverine. No, wait, Daniel, hear me out before you go off the deep end. It's either all the X-Men or none of them, and Wolverine's part of the package. The boss doesn't want to leave any X-Man free to avenge their team-mates, least of all a pissed off feral. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand." Daniel slammed a fist down into the comforter beside him. "I understand all too well."

"Don't take it too hard," said Rachael, consolingly. "It's all for the best."

"Besides, if all goes according to plan, the X-Men will be ours for the taking in just a few short days," added Psyche, with a sly grin. "The boss said nothing about not roughing them up when we take them down. You can make Wolverine hurt as much as you want."

"Oh, I intend to, believe me." Daniel's smile was pure evil. "When I've done with him, he'll wish he'd never been born ……"

**NEXT: **Boys will be boys!


	8. Boys Will Be Boys

Hey everybody - welcome back! This chapter is dedicated to my trusty friend **Sabrielle-X!** Hope you enjoy, sweetie!

Once again, a hearty thank you to all my reviewers for the last chapter - **12kirby12, FrozenVoices, callmeGreen-Eyes, nileena, Sabrielle-X, Laudine **and **wolfbane17!**

Okay - time to get the drinks in ...... !

**ooXoo**

**8. Boys Will Be Boys**

"Tell me again why we're here." Hudson hopped out of the battered jeep and studied the bar come diner with a wary eye.

"Because I said so, that's why, so quit yer yappin' an' get in there." Logan jammed his trusty cowboy hat on his head and gave his reluctant companion a push towards the door. "I need a drink."

"From what I've heard, you always need a drink." Coffey shouldered past his two friends to push open the door, stepping back to allow them to go first. "Is it some sort of mutant ability I wasn't previously aware of? 'Me feral, must drink'?" He raised a placating hand as a low rumble reverberated around Logan's chest. "Hey, don't growl at me, man! I saved your sorry ass from Sabretooth, remember?"

"Quit the funnies, Coffey, an' go find us a table before I ferget yer supposed to be my drinkin' buddy." Logan dug into his jacket's inner pocket for his wallet. "I'll go get the drinks in."

"Mine's a beer," called Coffey, as the feral disappeared into the crowd around the bar. He frowned at Hudson. "Do you think he heard?"

"He heard." Hudson thumped his friend companionably between the shoulder blades and pointed off into the room. "There's a table over there, by the window. Grab it, quick, before someone else does."

Weaving through the busy tables and the smoke laden atmosphere, they managed to reach the vacant table before anyone thought to snatch it up. They quickly settled themselves around it, Coffey taking off his jacket to hang it over the back of his chair.

They were joined only moments later by Logan, who was expertly managing three bottles of beer, a glass of whisky and a bowl of peanuts in his big hands. Hudson took two of the bottles from him as he sat down, passing one to Coffey.

"What, no glass?"

Logan tossed him a look and Coffey grinned. "Just kiddin'. So, how did you find us so fast? The smoke's so thick in here I could cut holes in it."

Logan merely tapped the side of his nose with one finger, his recognised sign for 'senses' and Coffey nodded. "Ah. Forgot."

Hudson took a swig of his beer and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh, looking around the bar at the other patrons. It was a busy night – most of the tables were occupied and there was a line at the bar at least two deep, despite all the stools there being taken. A juke box in the corner was belting out the latest hit by Nickelback and several couples were dancing in the space in front of it. Two pool tables at the opposite side of the bar had drawn a crowd, with money on the outcome of the games, if the friendly heckling was anything to go by. All in all, Harry's Hideaway was a good honest establishment. Rowdiness wasn't tolerated and troublemakers were quickly shown the door – Harry ran his place with a tight but fair hand.

Logan produced a cigar and then rummaged around his pockets for a match, striking it against the leg of his chair. Coffey waved a hand, batting away the clouds of smoke he produced as he lit it. "Hey! Isn't there enough pollution in this place already?"

"I'm bettin' ya wouldn't say no ta a good smoke." Logan brought out another cigar and handed it to the former guard. Coffey eyed it as though it would bite his fingers off if he reached for it. "Go on. It won't hurt ya none."

"What, other than the lung cancer, you mean?" Coffey shook his head. "No, thanks, I'll pass."

"I'll take you up on that offer, if it still stands," put in Hudson, as Logan was about to re-pocket the cigar. The feral duly handed it over, along with a match, and watched intently as the guard lit it, puffing out clouds of blue smoke.

Hudson inhaled deeply and blew out a contented breath, an action marred only slightly by the sudden cough as the smoke caught at the back of his throat. He tapped the cigar with an appreciative finger. "Now, that's a good smoke," he declared. "You don't know what you're missing, Rik."

"Yes, I do," snorted Coffey, grabbing a handful of peanuts. "Coughing, runny eyes, burning lungs …… shall I go on?"

"Those are the best cigars money can buy," Logan informed them. "I get them shipped in from down south."

"Shipped in?" Coffey was impressed. "Geez, how much does that cost?"

"Believe me, ya don't wanna know." Logan knocked back the contents of the whisky glass in one gulp, then took a following slug of beer, savouring the taste as it went down.

"Okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming that your average mutant superhero can't just get a nine-to-five job at the local hardware store in order to fund all these expensive cigars?" Hudson was genuinely interested. "The money has to come from somewhere, so …… ?"

"So Xavier allows members of his team a small allowance," finished off Logan, sending smoke rings drifting lazily into the air. "Some o' the students an' younger trainees also get allowances from home, if they're still on speakin' terms with their parents. I subsidise my own allowance by doin' some …… shall we say, freelance work? …… on the side. I won't be beholden ta anyone fer my keep."

"Freelance work?" asked Coffey.

"Cage fightin'," clarified Logan.

"Oh. And does Xavier approve?"

"None o' Chuck's business what I do in my spare time," grunted Logan, sourly.

"Is that a touchy subject?" Hudson leaned forward, gesturing with his cigar. "Gina hinted that there might be some bad feelings between you and Xavier."

Logan rolled his cigar between his teeth, considering his next words carefully. "Ain't so much between me an' Chuck as between me an' one o' the other X-Men. O' course, I use the term loosely, considerin' that he ain't been with the team long enough ta be worthy o' the name. Hell, he's still wet behind the ears. God knows how he'll fare against the likes o' Sabretooth."

"Well, by all accounts, he took _you_ on," put in Coffey, carefully.

Logan raised his bottle in salute. "Touche. Boy's got balls, I'll give him that."

"So what happens now?" asked Hudson. "I gather from what Gina has told me that attacking a senior team member is a serious offence."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Word sure gets outta that school pretty damn fast. Has Gina told ya everything? Just so's I don't repeat myself, y'understand?" he added, sarcastically.

Hudson smiled, sheepishly. "Pretty much everything," he admitted.

"Ain't no secrets between two people in love," grinned Coffey. He gestured expansively with his beer bottle. "You should know that, Loge."

"What the hell did ya just call me?"

"Err …… um ……"

"Well, quit it with the names already. I got enough trouble with Jubilee, dammit, without you startin'." He took a disgruntled slug of his beer, wondering if inviting the two former guards on this beer jaunt had been a smart idea after all.

"So …… ?" prompted Hudson, still waiting for an answer.

"So Xavier ain't gonna do squat," finished Logan, tipping his hat back and frowning. "The boy near ices me ta the floor an' Chuck thinks _he's _got problems. I'll give him flamin' problems!" He watched a drop of condensation make its way down his bottle, thoughtfully. "Somethin' screwy's goin' on, if yer ask me. Boy sets off all my warnin' bells everytime I'm near him. Same with his sister an' the other two girls, only not as much. If I didn't know better, I'd swear they were up ta somethin'."

"What makes you think that they're not?" Coffey tilted his head at his feral companion, inquiringly.

The question gave Logan pause for thought. "Ya got a point there, Rik. We only got Xavier's word fer it that the boy's on the level an' the Prof ain't infallible. He's been actin' kinda strange lately too. Outta character, if promotin' Blizzard ta the team in the first place is anythin' ta go by. And now this ……" Logan frowned, as the implications of that thought slowly dawned on him. "Cripes, if Xavier's gone nuts on us, we're in worse trouble than I thought."

He took a long slug of his beer to emphasise this point, draining the bottle and setting it down on the table with a decisive thump. He looked around at his companions. "Another?"

Coffey held up his still half full bottle. "I'm fine, but you go ahead."

"Same here," added Hudson.

There was a young barmaid circulating among the tables collecting empty glasses and Logan tipped his chair back onto two legs, raising a hand to attract her attention. She smiled and trotted over, skilfully avoiding the roving hand of an inebriated trucker on the way.

"Hey, Logan." She favoured the feral with a dazzling smile as she drew level with their table, her eyes quickly taking in his two companions and settling for a moment on Coffey, who was busy helping himself to the last of the peanuts and didn't notice.

"Evenin', Belle." Logan righted his chair with a thump and grinned back at the girl. "How's things?"

"Oh, y'know. Same old, same old. All the better for seeing you, though." She rested her tray laden with empty glasses on her hip and pushed back her auburn curls with her free hand. "What can I get you guys?"

"Another round o' the usual, Belle. An' a whisky." Logan skilfully ignored Hudson's frantic gestures to his mostly full bottle. "Don't take any notice o' him. I'm buyin'."

Belle laughed. "Sure thing, Logan." She reached out to pick up the empty peanut bowl, flashing Coffey a warm smile. "Would you like a refill there, hon?"

Coffey, still chewing, choked as a peanut went down the wrong way. Logan thumped him helpfully on the back and Belle rolled her eyes. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

She slid away between the tables, leaving Coffey watching after her with teary eyes.

Hudson kicked him under the table. "Way to go, Rik! Make us look like complete idiots in front of the local girls, why don't you?"

Logan dragged a hand through his hair. "Hey, speak fer yerself there," he grunted.

Coffey glared at Hudson with watery eyes. "Why should you care?" he retorted. "You've already got a girl. Besides, I wasn't expecting her to talk to me and I inhaled wrong and ……." He broke off with a groan. "Oh, God, she's gonna think I'm a complete loser!"

Logan folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, eyeing the two guards critically from beneath a furrowed brow. "What the hell is the matter with you two? If I didn't know better, I'd swear ya weren't the same two guys who got me an' the girls outta the Roberts' place. It's like tryin' ta have a drink with Laurel and Hardy."

"Well, things were kinda intense back then," defended Hudson, huffily. "I guess the stress of having your cover blown an' facing a firing squad kinda takes all the fun outta a guy."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "A firin' squad? Yer kiddin' me!"

"No, I'm not." Hudson looked back at the feral, earnestly. "Roberts once had a young guard flogged just for having oil on his rifle." He paused, thoughtfully. "Y'know, sometimes I lie awake at night, just wondering what he did to those guys after you got away from him. Don't get me wrong, we weren't on friendly terms or anything, but …… well …… some things you don't even wish on your worst enemy, you know?"

A thoughtful silence descended on the table, which was suddenly broken by the reappearance of Belle, bearing a tray laden with drinks. She smiled cheerfully as she handed them round. "Three beers. And a whisky for you, Logan." She picked up a bowl of peanuts, placing them in front of Coffey. "There you go, hon. Try not to inhale these, okay?"

"I won't. Thanks."

Logan reached for his wallet, but Belle waved his offer of money away. "Don't worry about it, Logan. I've put these on your tab. Just pay it off at the end of the week as usual."

"Thanks, darlin'."

"You're welcome." She turned to go, her gaze lingering on Coffey for just slightly longer than was absolutely necessary. The former guard watched her make her way back to the bar through the maze of tables.

He turned back to see Hudson grinning at him. "What?" he demanded.

"I'm sure your 'girlfriend' would be very interested to see you ogling other women, Rik." The guard chuckled. "They can be very jealous creatures when provoked."

"What girlfriend? I haven't got a …… Oh geez, you mean Paige, don't you?" He groaned, rubbing a hand across his face. "Y'know, it took me two hours to get away from that girl and her giggling friends. At the very least, you could have come to my rescue."

"Nah, why ruin a blossoming relationship?" Hudson raised his bottle to salute his friend's future happiness and glanced to Logan. "What about you, Logan? I didn't see you at the barbecue the other day. Kristi missed you."

"I was …… elsewhere." Logan downed his whisky in one go to hide his discomfort.

"So I'm guessing that this night on the town is your way of dealing with the Blizzard issue?" prompted Coffey, bringing the conversation full circle.

"Somethin' like that," admitted Logan, with a nod. "Keepin' outta the way seemed like the wisest thing ta do. I'm not afraid o' him," he added, catching Coffey's incredulous glance. "But like I said, somethin' about the boy sets me off an' if the animal side o' me gets out …… well, let's just say I don't want ta be around my friends if that were ta happen."

Coffey and Hudson nodded in understanding. They'd never seen the Wolverine go into a full on berserker rage, but, like most people in their profession, they'd heard stories. Most of them didn't end well for those on the receiving end of said rage.

"It's strange, though. I ain't seen hide nor hair o' Blizzard for the last two days. But I know he's still around 'cause I can smell him."

"Maybe he's realised what he's done and is keeping out of your way too?" suggested Coffey, helpfully.

Logan shrugged. "Maybe," he agreed, but he wasn't convinced. He still had the nagging feeling that something wasn't altogether right about Blizzard and his little group of followers. The fact that Xavier seemed to trust them did nothing to ease his mind.

"So what about Kristi?" suddenly asked Hudson.

Logan frowned. "What about her?"

"How does she feel about your disappearing acts? If she's anything like Gina, I'm assuming she isn't too impressed."

"She's a big girl. She'll deal with it." Logan chomped down on his cigar and blew out a large cloud of smoke, all the better to hide behind. Despite his brash words, he knew his constant disappearances were having an effect on her and he honestly felt bad about that. Right now, she 'felt' …… strange. He couldn't quite put his finger on it – this was something he hadn't picked up from her before – but his one regret was that Kristi seemed to be getting dragged deeper and deeper into his problems.

He downed the rest of his beer in one go, searching for the elusive buzz that consuming large quantities of alcohol occasionally brought, seeking – futilely – to forget about Blizzard, Kristi, in fact the whole damn thing. He couldn't get drunk – his healing factor annoyingly saw to that – but a large quantity consumed over a short period of time could give him a close enough imitation of it, until his mutant ability compensated. The fact that he couldn't get falling down drunk and enjoy it for a length of time was the one thing he truly regretted about his particular mutation. Of course, the hangover afterwards was another matter ……

Coffey watched him place his empty bottle on the table and raised an eyebrow at him. "Ready for a refill?"

Logan belched manfully and nodded. "Sure." He looked around for a barmaid.

Coffey got to his feet, digging his wallet out of his back pocket. "It's okay, I'll go. Beer, right?"

"Yep."

"How about you, Mark?"

Hudson indicated the full bottle standing next to his first half empty one. "I'm still good to go, thanks."

"Okay. I won't be long."

He trotted off between the tables, his eyes already searching behind the bar for a particular face. There were three barmaids on duty, plus an older man who was standing back, polishing glasses. Coffey guessed this was Harry. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were constantly moving, searching the crowd. Coffey recognised the look of a man on the alert for trouble and prepared to deal with it if it came.

Belle already had a line of patrons waiting to be served, but Coffey waited patiently for his turn, watching the confident way she handled her customers, skilfully putting down the overbearing truckers without making them seem foolish, and sharing a word or two with those who were clearly enamoured of her but were mostly harmless. She noticed Coffey standing in line and flashed him a smile. The former guard found himself wondering how she would handle him when it was his turn to be served.

The biker in front of him moved away with his drinks and Coffey stepped up to the bar, suddenly feeling nervous. Belle grinned at him. "Hey there. Survived the peanuts then?"

Coffey nodded, ruefully. "Yeah, I guess. Hell of a way to go – choked by peanut."

"There are worse ways." Belle reached under the bar for Logan's favourite beer. "Another round?"

"No, just one. Me an' Mark are slow drinkers. No, wait, you'd better make it two. I've got a feeling Logan means business tonight and it'll save me a trip back too soon."

"Pity. I'll miss your company."

Coffey almost amended his order there and then, but Belle had already popped the bottle tops on a device under the bar. He handed her a note and she moved to the cash register.

"I haven't seen you around here before," she threw over her shoulder, as she scooped up change. "Do you work at the school with Logan?"

"Hell, no, I'm not cut out to be a teacher." Coffey knew enough not to blow the school's cover. "We …… ah …… met while working up north. Me an' Mark fancied a change of scenery an' moved down here a couple of months ago."

"Mark? Is that the other guy you're with?" Belle dropped his change into his hand and studied him, inquiringly.

"Yeah." He clapped a palm to his forehead in sudden understanding. "Geez, I'm sorry! I'm Richard Coffey. Rik," he amended, quickly.

"Belle Valenti. Pleased to meet you, Rik." She stuck out her hand and Coffey took it, liking the feel of her soft hand in his.

"Valenti, huh? Italian?"

"Half Italian," Belle confirmed, with a nod. "My mother's a chef. She met my father while on a food management course in Venice. When she returned home two months later, she was married and pregnant with me."

"Wow, whirlwind romance," grinned Coffey.

"The best kind," responded Belle, her eyes sparkling as she looked into his. "More passion."

Coffey cleared his throat as his heart seemed to leap into it. Was she flirting with him? He was no stranger to the art of flirting – hell, he had even tried it on with Kristi before he had realised she was matebonded to the Wolverine. One or two girls in his past had even flirted back, which always made the game more challenging. But Belle was different. With her exotic features and sultry voice, she excited him like no other female before her. It was obvious she was interested in him. And he was definitely interested in her. But he had no intention of being easy to get.

"I …… er …… I'd better take these drinks back before Logan gets withdrawal symptoms." He picked up the two bottles. "See you later?"

"Sure." Belle smiled and turned to her next customer. "Watch out for the killer peanuts!"

"I will." Turning away, somewhat reluctantly, Coffey made his way back to the table. Logan looked up as he approached. "Where ya been fer them drinks, kid? China?"

"There was a queue," offered Coffey, by way of explanation. He put down the bottles and watched in fascination as the feral picked one up and slugged down the contents in one go, licking his lips appreciatively as he set down the empty bottle.

"Geez, Logan, if that was me, I'd be under the table counting dust bunnies by now." Coffey shook his head and regained his seat. "Why aren't you seeing double? That's three to our one now. Not counting the whiskies."

"Shortly ta be four," amended Logan, reaching for the next bottle, but this time only taking a conservative sip. He eyed his companion over the rim of the bottle. "I can't get drunk, Rik. The healing factor cancels it out."

"Bugger," commented Coffey, dryly.

"Oh, I dunno, I'm sensing certain possibilities," added Hudson, grinning. "No hangover, no waking up in a strange room an' wondering how you got there, and definitely no puking in a dark alley behind the bar!"

"Well, I guess that's you speaking from experience then," quipped Coffey. Hudson picked up a peanut and threw it at him.

They were interrupted by the soft trill of a cell phone. Each of them looked at the other until Logan came to a sudden realisation. "Oh, geez, it's me!" He began patting pockets. "Where the hell is it?"

Finally locating the cell in one of the zip down pockets at the front of his jacket, he flipped it open, instantly recognising the caller ID as the mansion. He grunted in annoyance. "What the hell do ya want? An' it'd better be important, 'cause I'm in no mood fer games …… Jubilee? What's up? …… Kristi? …… When did this happen? …… Okay, don't leave her alone. I'll be right there."

He flipped the cell closed and stood up, looking down at the two guards, clearly agitated. "I gotta go. There's somethin' wrong with Kristi." He turned abruptly away, giving them no chance to respond, worry for his bondmate dominating his mind. She had been fine when he left – what could have happened to her so quickly? And why hadn't he felt it through the bond?

Or maybe he had. Was this the result of the strange feeling he had picked up on earlier? Cursing himself for a fool, he pushed past a group of bikers, heading for the door.

"Logan, wait up!" He stopped at the sound of Coffey's voice, seeing the two guards hurrying after him, Coffey shrugging into his jacket on the move. "Wait, Logan, we'll go with you."

He nodded and let them catch up, before pushing through the crowd once more, acting like a miniature battering ram and trailing the two guards in his wake. Those who took affront from being jostled aside took one look at his face and hastily bit down on their protests.

They had almost reached the door when Coffey felt a tug on the back of his jacket. He stopped and turned, finding himself face to face with Belle, her previously confident expression replaced now with one of uncertainty.

"I gotta go," he said, quickly, before she could speak. "Logan's girl has been taken ill, or something."

She nodded slowly, and reached out hesitantly for his hand. He let her take it, feeling something rustle in her palm. "This isn't like me at all, but I wondered …… well …… that's my phone number," she finished, blushing slightly.

She drew back her hand and Coffey looked down to see the piece of paper nestled in his fingers. He smiled, reassuringly. "I'll call," he promised her, then leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her cheek. Shocked, she raised a hand to touch the spot, still feeling the press of his lips as he hurtled through the door in pursuit of his friends.

She frowned as she remembered his words. Logan's girl? Since when did Logan have a girl? Christ, she was more out of the loop than she thought. And, despite Rik saying that he didn't work at the school, did the fact that he and his friend knew Logan mean that they were mutants too? Did she care?

Turning back to slip behind the bar, one answer reverberated through her thoughts. No, she did not care. Although, for Rik's sake, she sincerely hoped that he was ……

**NEXT: **Flashback to Kristi …… and why is she acting so strangely?


	9. A Night on the Tiles?

Hello there! 'Tis me again!

My little band of reviewers for the last chapter were **Sabrielle-X,** (you're welcome!)** sagas. pen, nileena, FrozenVoices, Laudine **(good guess!)and **wolfbane17! **Thank you, one and all, for your kind words and interest!

A couple of you correctly guessed the reason for Kristi's 'illness'! And for those of you who didn't, here's the latest chapter! Enjoy!!

**ooXoo**

**9. ****A Night on the Tiles?**

Kristi untied the ponytail she had worn her hair in all day and shook it out, letting it fall around her shoulders. Picking up her hairbrush, she began to run it through the curls, noting with pleasure that her hair had grown since her arrival at the mansion. To be honest, what with one thing and another, she hadn't really had the chance to get into town and have it cut, but she kinda liked it this way. The way it framed her face with gentle curls that now fell to just below her shoulders was attractive. The longer style, funnily enough, was also more manageable – she could put it up in a ponytail for training and leave it down for a more carefree and sultry look. Maybe Logan would like it more that way? Judging by the current situation with her bondmate, she needed all the help she could get.

She huffed crossly at her reflection in the mirror, pulling at her hair with the brush a little harder than necessary. For the past two days, Logan had disappeared from the mansion almost at the crack of dawn, taking off on the bike to god knew where, returning only as the light began to fail, announcing the onset of night. She'd seen little of him for those past few days – if he wasn't out roaming the countryside during the day, he was hiding away in his room during the evening. She had tried 'sending' to him, letting him know she was there if he needed to talk, but he either wasn't listening or was too wrapped up in himself to care. It seemed as though, once again, Logan was demonstrating the stubbornness he was so famous for and was determined to see the problem through on his own, despite those around him being only too happy to help.

To be brutally honest with herself, Kristi felt completely out of her depth with the whole situation, and that included Logan, the matebond and the issue with Blizzard. She'd always considered herself a fairly level headed person, someone not given to flights of fancy or casual recklessness. Yet one look from a pair of feral blue eyes had changed her life completely and turned her dreams for the future upside down. She had always entertained the thought of finding a nice guy one day, someone she could settle down and raise a family with. She'd had one boyfriend through school – a tall dark-haired aspiring quarterback named Max – whom most of her friends, and especially her sister, had reckoned she would marry one day. But the manifestation of her mutant ability had cast a dark cloud over that particular dream. Scared of revealing herself, Kristi had backed off from Max and ended the friendship. It was the hardest decision she'd ever made in her life and she had cried herself to sleep every night for the better part of a fortnight. But with mutant hysteria at an all-time high, she couldn't risk Max or his family finding out about her and turning her in. She'd told herself it was for the best, but that didn't stop her heart from breaking every time she saw Max with his new girl.

With her arrival at Xavier's school, Kristi had found herself thrust headlong into another relationship, matebonded to a man she barely knew, a man who, by all accounts, came with more complications than the entire team put together. A man who was rough, occasionally ill-mannered, always spoiling for a fight and certainly not the type of guy a respectable girl could take home to meet the parents. Yet everything about him drove her to distraction, setting her pulse racing whenever he was near and leaving her giddy with the thought that, of all the women in the world he could have bonded, he had 'chosen' her. He was hers, body and soul.

And she didn't have a clue what to do with him.

She was a complete novice where men were concerned – despite her growing love for him, her relationship with Max had never reached the intimate stage, in fact had barely got past the quick kiss on the doorstep after dropping her home from a date, before she'd been forced to end it. And here she was, matebonded to a _man,_ not a boy her own age. Logan was a full blooded feral male, who obviously had more experience with matters of the opposite sex than she'd ever considered possible. And while the notion of being bonded to a man who knew exactly how to treat a woman was exciting on one level, it was also extremely daunting, as she had no idea how to handle him in return. He was headstrong, wild and occasionally stubborn – did he want his mate to be his equal or, as the Xavier files suggested, did her require her to be meek and submissive? The more she read, the more confused she became, until her head spun with the possibilities.

With only Jubilee and Gina to talk to, who were no wiser than she on the subject, she felt as though she was drowning in a sea of unanswered questions with no hope of rescue. She desperately needed help, but Logan seemed to think she could manage on her own, and she couldn't go to anyone else for fear of revealing their relationship – or so she thought. Had she known Jean was already aware of their attachment, she would have had the perfect ally – the one person who was more than qualified to help with matters of the heart concerning their feral team-mate.

Coming to with a jolt, Kristi suddenly realised she had ceased brushing her hair minutes ago and was staring at her reflection in the mirror, lost in a world of her own. Putting down her brush, she stalked out of the bathroom to change out of her jeans into something a bit more comfortable for lounging. The time was currently 9.30pm – Logan had taken off in the jeep about an hour before, obviously heading for a bar, and Jubilee and Gina, in an effort to cheer her up, had suggested a movie night. To be honest, all she wanted to do was mope in her room, but her two friends had made such an effort to round up suitable movies that she felt she owed it to them to watch at least one. Maybe then she'd be able to slip away and return to her room?

She'd already laid out a pair of sweats and a baggy T-shirt on the bed but, as she walked towards them, a wave of dizziness washed over her and she suddenly staggered, almost falling into her chest of drawers. She clutched at it for a moment, as the room spun around her, then as everything slowed momentarily, she made it to the bed and sat down, feeling strangely light-headed. A familiar buzz crept into the back of her mind and she shook her head to clear it, waiting for the feeling to subside, which it did, slowly and with some reluctance. Only then did she stand and cautiously change, staggering a little as the room swayed around her. The light-headedness returned and she giggled then, unsure what she found so funny but willing to go with the feeling all the same.

Some saner part of her mind was trying to tell her something was wrong, while another part – probably the part that was in rapport with Logan – firmly shushed its protestations, delighting in the warm, tingly feeling that was beginning to spread around her body. Fighting the urge to laugh, she left her room and made for the stairs, getting a strange look from Bobby as she weaved past him.

The dizziness chose to make an unfortunate return on the stairs and she missed a step, sliding down the last two to land with a thump on the hall floor. Dazed, she looked back up the stairs behind her, wondering why she was now sitting on her backside at the bottom of them when only seconds ago she had been on her feet walking down them.

That little voice was back, telling her that something was desperately wrong, demanding to be heard, but she ignored it and made a valiant effort to get back to her feet, grabbing hold of the banister and hauling herself up. She giggled to herself as she finally made it, pausing a moment as the entire hallway made an alarming three hundred and sixty degree turn around her, and then tottered on unsteady legs in the general direction of the rec room, gamely making a concentrated effort to walk in a straight line.

By the time she reached the open doorway, she was feeling light-headed, disoriented and more than ready to find a quiet corner somewhere and just lie down until the mansion decided to behave itself. The way the floor was undulating beneath her feet was most disconcerting. She leant against the door jamb, peering into the room in search of Jubilee and Gina, and wondering why she was suddenly seeing everything in glorious technicolour stereo.

"Jubilee? Jubes, are you there? I seriously hope you are, 'cause I'm really not feeling myself at the moment." She chuckled softly to herself. "God help the person I _am_ feeling, 'cause they must be having one hell of a night!"

The room tilted alarmingly just then and she shut her eyes tightly, which didn't help at all. When she opened them again, Jubilee was peering at her, anxiously. "Geez, Jubilee! Knock next time, okay?!"

"Kristi? Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright! Do I look alright?" She clutched tighter at the door jamb, whimpering slightly. "Can't you feel it? Why the hell are you just standing there, while the whole world's going crazy?" She gulped, audibly, shaking her head in denial. "Oh, god, I feel sick."

"What's wrong with her?" Gina trotted forward, carrying a pile of DVDs. "Kristi, are you on something?"

"Gina! God, that is so cool! There's two of you! It's a Mirage!" Kristi snorted heartily at her own joke and then began to slide slowly down the door jamb as her knees gave way. "Wheee! Hello floor! Welcome back!"

Jubilee caught her under the arms and hauled her back up, struggling under the weight of the older girl. "For heaven's sake, don't just stand there, Gina, help me!"

Gina hurriedly put down the DVDs and moved to help. Kristi huffed indignantly as they propped her against the wall. "You're such pooty parpers. Me an' the floor are old friends."

"Pooty parpers?" questioned Jubilee, frowning.

"I think she means party poopers." Gina eyed her friend warily, backing off slightly as if afraid of catching something. "What the hell's going on?"

"Kristi, did you find the Professor's private stock of sherry?" Jubilee leant forward to sniff the other girl's breath, then suddenly recoiled in shock. "Drinking! Oh. My. God."

"What?" Gina looked from one to the other, anxiously. "Jubilee, what?"

"Gina, it's the bond! Wolvie's gone bar hopping with Rik an' Mark an' whatever he's drinking it's coming through to Kristi via the bond!" She glanced out into the hallway, anxiously. "We've got to get her upstairs, before anyone sees her."

"Not upstairs," put in Kristi, decisively. "Stairs are dangerous. Here, much better." She pointed emphatically at the floor. "Here. Stay."

"No, Kristi, we've got to get you out of sight." Jubilee ducked under her friend's left arm and pulled her away from the wall. "Give me a hand, Gina, she's a dead weight like this."

"What the hell is Logan drinking to get her in such a state?" asked Gina, as they manoeuvred out into the hall. "Doesn't he realise what he's doing?"

"Probably not," replied Jubilee. "He's new to all this, remember? An' if I know Wolvie, he's already on the hard stuff. With a whisky or two thrown in for good measure."

"Geez! It's a miracle Kristi hasn't already passed out!"

"I'm workin' on that, just give me time," snorted Kristi, huffily. "You're awfully impatient, did you know that? An' I can walk perfectly well on my own, thank you very much, so let go my arm!"

"Kristi, how many fingers am I holding up?" Jubilee held up two fingers.

Kristi peered at them for a moment, sticking out her tongue in concentration. "Four."

"And that, my friend, is the reason why me an' Gina are driving, so sit back, shut up an' enjoy the ride."

They were nearing the stairs and Kristi eyed them, uncertainly. "Jubes, if you're plannin' on going upstairs, you ought to watch out for that first step. It's a really big one."

"You just worry about putting one foot in front of the other, we'll worry about the stairs." Jubilee patted her friend's hand encouragingly and then jumped as a door opened in the hallway. She looked back to see Scott and Jean coming out of the library and she tugged on Gina's arm in alarm. "Trouble's coming! Quick, look nonchalant!"

Kristi, however, managed to swivel around in her guardians' grasp, the momentum of her stagger taking them both with her. Her face lit up as she saw the two X-Men walking towards them. "Scooter!" she cheered. "How ya doin', bub?"

Scott did a rapid double take, his ruby gaze taking in the three girls, putting two and two together and coming up with something he'd rather not dwell upon. Beside him, Jean snorted in amusement and turned it into a cough as her fiancé gave her a sideways glance.

He hesitated as they drew level with the girls, taking in the awkward way Jubilee and Gina were holding their friend up while trying to look as though they _weren't_ holding her up. "Is something the matter here?"

"Nope. Nothing wrong," said Jubilee, quickly. "Kristi just stubbed her toe on the stair, that's all."

"Toe," echoed Kristi, holding her foot out, helpfully, and waggling it. "But I haven't …. Ouch!" she exclaimed, as Gina poked her sharply in the ribs. "Watch it with the fingers, bub!"

Jean was all but red in the face from trying not to laugh and Scott's forehead was furrowed into a deep frown as he looked between the three girls, trying to figure out what was going on. Finally deciding he was in way over his head, he nodded, slowly. "Okaaay. Gina, don't stay up too long, you have an early self defence class with Logan in the morning. You know how tetchy he gets when people yawn through his demonstrations."

"I'm on it, Mr Summers."

"Good." He led his grinning fiancée away, looking back once as if to reassure himself that they weren't up to mischief. Jubilee waved cheerily and he turned back, the two X-Men finally disappearing around the corner in the direction of the Professor's study.

Jubilee let out a relieved breath. "Man, that was just too close!"

"Jubes, we gotta get hold of Logan an' stop him drinking, before Kristi gets any worse." They had turned back to the stairs and successfully navigated the first step, an achievement which was celebrated by a loud cheer from Kristi. Gina winced. "Does he have a cell phone?"

Jubilee clapped an open palm to her forehead. "Yes, he does! Oh, please god, please let him have it on him tonight! Okay, Gina, you keep Kristi movin' an' I'll go give him a call. Don't let her sit down, whatever you do, or we'll be here all night."

She slipped out from under Kristi's arm and dashed back down the hallway. Kristi watched her go with a startled "Hey!"

"Come on, Kristi, don't pay Jubilee no mind, she's just gone to call Logan. Okay, another step now ……"

"Logan? My Logan?" asked Kristi, as they managed to move up another two steps while she was distracted.

"Yes, Kristi. Your Logan."

"Oh, goody! Is he coming? I'm matebonded to him, y'know." She fixed Gina with a lopsided grin. "He's got a sexy ass!"

Gina sighed as Kristi continued to list her mate's attributes. _Oh Lord, please let Logan have his phone on him. _Because if he didn't, this was going to be a very long night …..

**oooOOOooo**

"Was that the jeep? Did you hear a jeep?" Jubilee looked up from the game of Scrabble they had started to amuse Kristi, cocking her head to the side. "Tell me you heard something!"

Gina, assisting Kristi with the choosing of her tiles, paused to listen. Kristi continued to place her word and then grinned at the board, stifling a giggle. Most of the words she had placed were naughty ones, and badly spelled ones at that, but this last fact was well beyond her notice in her current condition. She looked up as Gina nodded.

"Hell, yeah, I hear something!" She hopped up from the bed. "Hold the fort, I'll check it out."

She dashed from the room and careered down the stairs, arriving in the hallway just as Logan burst through the front door, with Coffey and Hudson close behind. He caught sight of Gina immediately.

"Where is she?" he demanded, his body quivering with barely repressed anxiety.

"In her room," replied Gina. She dodged aside as Logan pushed past her, heading for the stairs. "Logan ……"

She broke off as Hudson took her arm. "Leave him be, Gina. He's out of his mind with worry."

"What's happened here?" asked Coffey, moving forward. "Is Kristi ill?"

Gina sighed. "It's a long story, guys. Come into the den and I'll fill you in ……"

**oooOOOooo**

Logan took the stairs two at a time, bounding down the hallway beyond and almost colliding with Remy as the Cajun stepped out of his room. He barely noticed as Remy called after him, wanting to know if something was wrong, his intentions focused on one thing alone – reaching his mate. The erratic pulse of her thoughts and feelings were driving him crazy with worry and the skin between his knuckles itched as his claws pressed against it, demanding to be set free to take revenge on whatever had threatened his bondmate. His inner beast howled with fury and Logan answered with a feral growl of his own, baring his teeth.

He burst into Kristi's room with such force that the door rebounded against the wall behind and almost hit him in the face. Startled, Kristi shrieked and flung herself back on the bed, losing her balance and tumbling over the opposite edge to land in an untidy heap on the floor. Scrabble tiles pattered down all around her.

Jubilee looked up and grinned, brightly. "Hey, Wolvie."

Logan ignored her and stalked around the bed to glare down at his bondmate. Unnoticed, Jubilee hopped up and softly closed the door, hoping that the ruckus hadn't drawn anyone's attention. The last thing they needed now was to be hauled in front of the Professor and asked awkward questions.

Kristi rolled over onto her back and hiccupped softly, grinning up at her mate who was towering over her. "Wolvie! You're a lot taller than I remember ….."

Logan shook his head, confused. "What the …… ?" He knelt down beside his mate, pulling her up into a sitting position. She gave a little squeak at the sudden movement and rested her head against his shoulder, sighing happily as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "My Wolvie's here! I'm saved!"

Logan glared at his young partner. "What the hell's been goin' on here, Jubilation? She's drunk!"

"No, she isn't. You are!" Jubilee pointed an accusing finger at the mystified feral. "Don't you see what's happening here? You drink, but she gets the effects. It's the bond!"

"The bond?" Logan tentatively sniffed his mate, causing her to giggle and turn her head away. She hiccupped softly against his shoulder. "Sleepy ……" she murmured. "The bond ……" Logan said again, running that thought through his head. Her scent confirmed Jubilee's words – there was no trace of alcohol on his young mate and he now understood the reason for her erratic thoughts and feelings. They were entirely consistant for a female who had consumed at least three strong beers. And two whiskies.

"Oh geez, darlin', I'm sorry." He pulled her close and stroked her hair, whispering soothing words as she snuggled against him. "I had no idea ……" He shifted back slightly and began to pull her to her feet. "Come on, darlin', let's get you to bed so that you can sleep this off."

"And on that note, I'm outta here," Jubilee opened the door a crack and slipped through. "Later, dude."

"Jubilee?" The firecracker poked her head back in at the sound of her partner's voice. Logan raised a hand, tentatively. "Thanks, Jubes. Thanks fer lookin' after her."

"Hey, any time, big guy!" Jubilee frowned and shook her head. "No, let me re-phrase that! She's a handful when she's drunk. Plus, she's lousy at Scrabble. So, if you plan to do this again any time soon, just make sure she's with _you_, okay?" She closed the door softly without waiting for an answer, confident in the knowledge that her partner knew exactly how much she thought of her best friend and partner without it being said. She would go to hell and back for either of them and damn the consequences.

Logan watched the door close and then turned back to his mate, feeling a flush of possessiveness as she snuggled into him. He bent, slid a hand behind her knees and scooped her into his arms, making her squeal in delight.

"That was fun! Where're we going?"

"You're goin' ta bed, darlin'."

"I am? Oh, goody! Are you going to ravage me?"

"No, darlin', I'm not."

He laid her down on the bed and she scowled up at him, pouting slightly. "You're not? Well, that's a damn shame. I could use a good ravage ……"

He turned away with an embarrassed cough, grabbing the comforter folded at the bottom of the bed and flipping it over her, scattering loose Scrabble tiles as he did so. "You need to get some sleep," he growled.

"Okay." Kristi closed her eyes obligingly and snuggled into the pillow with a satisfied sigh. Logan stood over her, looking down at his bondmate and feeling something within him reach out to her and enfold her like soft downy wings. She was so loving, so trusting yet vulnerable, and he ached to take her into his arms and press kisses to those gently pursed lips, yearned to explore every inch of her youthful body and hear her whisper his name as he …… _Christ, time ta leave, Logan!_

Her hand shot out as he turned away, clutching his jacket and yanking him back. He staggered and steadied himself with a hand on the bed, his face only inches from hers as she looked at him with eyes now full of fear and anxiety.

"Where're you going?" she asked, softly.

"To my room." He tried to prize her fingers lose, but she had a grip like a steel vice and he didn't want to hurt her. "I probably should take Mark an' Rik home too."

"Don't go." She pulled him closer, her eyes locking onto his and capturing him with their intensity. "Stay."

"Kristi darlin', I can't stay." He tried to pull back, but she held on tightly, her delicate fingers locked around his jacket pocket, giving her plenty of purchase. "Come on, Kris, let me go."

"No." Her bottom lip quivered slightly. "I'll have scary dreams."

He was about to protest when he suddenly realised she was right. In her current condition, her shields would be woefully inadequate, if not down completely. If he had a nightmare tonight ……

He knew at once that he couldn't put her through that again. He nodded, slowly. "Alright. If it makes ya feel any better, I'll stay." He wagged a finger at her. "But no funny stuff, y'hear?"

Kristi giggled and scooted over to give him room, patting the bed beside her. "S'matta, Wolvie? Afraid I'll ravage you?"

"No," Logan replied, hesitantly. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his boots, dropping them to the floor with a thump. It wasn't her he was afraid of, it was him. Could he trust himself to keep his hands off her? The animal side of him growled in response. _Why the hell should ya want ta, bub? She's yours. Take her!_

_No!_ He almost snarled the response out loud, but stopped himself just in time. When he and Kristi finally made love, the time and place would have to be right, and the time was most definitely not now. He was not going to take advantage of her while she was under the influence of alcohol, whether that was his fault or not, no matter how much she wanted him to. Besides, he had a suspicion she had never had an intimate relationship before and he had no desire to reduce her first time to an alcohol induced fumble. She deserved better than that.

He shrugged out of his jacket and lay it across the bottom of the bed, then reached up to undo his shirt buttons, but stopped himself partway, deciding to leave it on. _Less temptation that way._ Kristi watched with a fascinated expression as he lay down next to her on top of the covers, hitching herself over with a gleeful squeal to tuck herself into him. Wondering what to do with his free hand, Logan let it hover over her for a couple of seconds before finally giving a mental shrug and draping it over her side, pulling her to him and spooning her from behind. _What the hell,_ he figured. They were both still fully dressed – what the hell could happen?

Besides, he had no intention of staying the entire night. He would stay just long enough to see her settled to sleep and then he would slip away and spend the night in the den. A late night horror movie would keep him safely awake. He would not allow her to have nightmares even if he had to stay awake the entire night.

Kristi sighed contentedly and put her hand over his, absently stroking the space between his knuckles where his claws came out. "Are you sure you don't want to ravage me?" she asked, innocently.

"Christ, kid, go ta sleep." Logan closed his eyes and tried not to concentrate on the feel of her soft fingers on his hand. If she kept that up, he wasn't going to be responsible for his actions ……

"G'night, Logan." She raised his hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "I love you."

"I lo ……" Logan cut off and growled. "Go ta sleep, kid. Ya talk too flamin' much …."

**NEXT: **With Wolverine in her bed, roving hands will play!


	10. An Act of Love

Hi everybody! This chapter is for all my readers who have been begging for more interaction between Wolvie and Kristi! I hope you enjoy ..... and I hope I haven't gone too far ...... !

My little band of reviewers for the last chapter are; **wolfbane17, lancefalcon **(a new reviewer - welcome aboard!) **Sabrielle-X, nileena, 12kirby12, sagas. pen **and **Laudine! **I love you all!

The adventure awaits - onward!

**ooXoo**

**10. An Act of Love**

"What the hell is this?"

Kristi rolled over, groaning at the persistent ache of something digging into her side. Still half asleep, she felt about beneath her, her questing fingers locating something small and hard. Pulling it out and holding it up, she opened bleary eyes to see what had roused her from the delicious dream she'd been having. It was a small cream tile with a letter W etched on it. _A Scrabble tile? When the hell was I playing Scrabble? _She stared at it for a moment, then leaned over to place it on the bedside table. W for Wildstar. Of all the tiles she could have laid on, it had to be the W. How coincidental was that?

She froze then as something stirred against her, her arm still held out to the table. Slowly, she pulled it back, feeling the hair on the back of her neck start to prickle as the 'something' moved again. Holding her breath and turning slowly, she came face to face with a bare-chested, mussy haired and completely at home in her bed Wolverine.

And everything came flooding back.

She rolled onto her back with a groan as she remembered the sudden feeling of euphoria from the evening before, and the way her common sense and co-ordination had seemingly given up the ghost and abandoned her. She remembered her friends helping her back upstairs and …… _Oh Lord! I called Scott, Scooter!_ She also had a vague impression of feeling hot in the night and struggling out of her T-shirt and sweatpants. She peeked under the covers at this point to discover that yes, she was indeed only wearing her bra and panties.

But her strongest memories were of Logan. Holding her close and stroking her hair. Scooping her up and carrying her to bed. And lying by her side and promising to protect her from nightmares. He was her knight in …… err …… flannel shirt and jeans. And he was still here. Asleep. And at her mercy.

She bit her lip and rolled over to study him. Logan, to all intents and purposes, wasn't the gentlest of sleepers, resting, as he was, in an untidy sprawl. One arm, the one nearest Kristi, was thrown carelessly above his head, resting lightly on the pillow. The other was dangling over the side of the bed. Some time in the night he had managed to get beneath the sheets, which now only covered him to the waist, revealing a bare foot poking out below the comforter and an equally bare expanse of deeply muscled chest above. Kristi frowned, remembering that his shirt had still been on when he had snuggled behind her, but then spotted it lying over the dresser in a tossed and abandoned fashion. Maybe he had felt warm just as she had? His healing factor usually caused his body temperature to run at a couple of degrees above normal anyway – if she had been warm in the night, it would have been uncomfortably so for Logan.

A sudden thought had her scanning the room for his jeans, but she couldn't see them anywhere. Spotting his foot, she pulled on the comforter, breathing out a sigh of relief as the hem of his jeans came into view. A semi-naked Wolverine in her bed was one thing. A totally naked Wolverine was quite another.

A semi-naked Wolverine …… ! Cautiously, so as not to wake him, she hitched up onto one elbow, leaning over to study her mate, her heart beginning to pound with the thought that he was here, actually in her bed, close enough to reach out and touch. His head was tilted towards her as he slept, soft breaths puffing out through slightly parted lips, his hair tousled from sleep, but still rising into the two backward pointing crests which tantalised Kristi's fingers so. She raised a hand with the intention of burying her fingers in that soft, raven black hair, then her gaze drifted lower, to a chest that was rising and falling with each shallow breath, and her hand hovered there, just millimetres above the skin, feeling his internal heat radiating off him like his own personal inferno.

An internal battle broke out, between her hand which so desperately wanted to touch that perfectly sculptured body, and her head which warned her that she was dangerously out of her depth and to back off now, before it was too late. Common sense kept whispering to her that she was playing with fire and she knew that for a fact. If Wolverine awoke, aroused and in the mood for something more than she was willing to give, she knew she was in no position to fend him off. But, at the same time, her heart found that very thought strangely exciting and her pulse raced faster at the image of her bondmate bearing her down and smothering her heated body with passionate kisses. Inexperience warred with desire and, in the end, the intense fascination to know what a real man felt like won out. Her hand slowly covered the remaining distance between itself and her mate's flesh and made contact, fingers spreading out to tangle in his chest hair.

Logan stirred at her touch and she froze in place, eyes flicking to his, expecting them to fly open, to hear him demand to know what the hell she thought she was doing. But he slept on, the hand above his head flexing slightly and then falling still, a soft sigh escaping his lips. Emboldened, Kristi bit back a smile and traced the outline of his pectoral muscles with a trembling hand, feeling her emotions surge at the excitement of being in such close proximity to her mate. A tiny voice at the back of her mind was chiding her for being so forward, yet this yearning to touch and be touched in return felt as natural to her as breathing and she suspected the bond was exerting its influence. Whatever this feral bond entailed, it was seemingly changing her very nature, making her over in her mate's image. Some would argue that the change wasn't for the best. Her parents especially would have been shocked to see their daughter right at this very moment, their sweet and innocent offspring seemingly corrupted by the wild beast that shared her bed. But Kristi felt invigorated, freed from the constraints of a strict upbringing and enlivened by the new thoughts and ideals pulsing through her head. She felt bold and wanton and she almost growled with the heady mix of it.

Dropping her hand lower, she tracked a line of dark hair down to Logan's naval, which was hidden from her sight by the shelter of the sheet. She circled it once with a tentative finger, smiling as Logan twitched slightly under her touch. _Is he ticklish? Surely not! _Her hand then nudged against the waistband of his jeans and she hesitated there, biting her lip in consideration. Her eyes flicked to Logan's, finding them still closed, and slowly and with great deliberation, she inched her hand downwards ……

"I think it only fair ta warn ya, that if ya insist on goin' any further south I won't be responsible fer my actions ……"

Logan's gravely tones startled her and Kristi squeaked in surprise, glancing upwards to see her mate watching her with darkened blue eyes. Blushing, she moved her hand northwards, stopping only when she reached the relative safely of his thoracic region.

"Wise choice." Logan's arm came down from above his head, his hand covering hers, locking it into place and spreading her fingers against him. "Wakin' ta find a beautiful female explorin' ya body pushes all the right buttons, but I figured ya wouldn't appreciate it if I turned the tables an' ravaged ya." Logan winked at her as he used Kristi's term from the night before.

His mate's eyes widened in surprise. "You were …… turned on?" she asked softly, knowing even as she voiced it that it was a redundant question. Logan's eyes had darkened so much they were almost black and his skin beneath her hand was burning. She could hardly believe that _she _had provoked such a reaction. A flash of curiosity had her wondering what his heartbeat felt like and she moved her hand upwards. Logan, his eyes never leaving hers, eased up the pressure on her hand so that she could skim it over his skin, but still kept it covered with his, pressing down once more when she came to a halt, imprisoning her there.

His heartbeat was strong and steady, and maybe a little faster that it should be. But she had no idea what was normal for Logan – his healing factor ran his temperature a little higher than normal, so that could be true for his heart-rate also. Her own heartbeat was going like crazy, an unconscious response brought on by her mate's close proximity and obvious arousal, and her body felt hot and tingly. She licked her lips nervously, and felt Logan's heart beat faster in answer, only calming slowly and with some reluctance. _Oh geez …… !_

"How long have you been awake?" Kristi asked the question simply to ease the sexual tension a little. The very air around her felt charged with static electricity, forged by their connection.

Logan blinked languorously. "Since ya first touched me," he admitted. "In my line o' work, ya have ta be a light sleeper or ya don't live long enough ta regret it."

"But that's not fair, I thought you were asleep," complained Kristi, pouting prettily.

Logan grinned at her. "I figured as much. The bond seemed ta be tellin' me ya needed ta know what a man felt like, an' me …… well, I wasn't about ta argue with that." He took his hand away from hers, leaving her free to move once more. "Go on. Help yerself."

His mate, however, stayed in place, studying him from behind lowered lashes. He frowned at her. "Whassamatta, kid? Afraid I'll bite?"

Kristi pulled her hand back with a snort. "You are so full of yourself, did you know that, Wolverine?"

"I remember ya tellin' me that once before." Logan stretched like a cat, pulling his arms above his head, and Kristi's eyes widened at the sight of those rippling muscles. He winked at her, smugly, knowing exactly what he was doing. "Ya still ended up bonded ta me, right?"

Kristi shook her head in disbelief. "You are such a bloody show off!" she declared, huffily. She poked him sharply in the ribs with one finger, prompting a grunt. "I think there's a couple of things I need to clarify here. One: I am not a kid anymore, Logan. I think this will back me up on that." Boldly, she tugged down the sheet, exposing her scantily clad body. Logan's gaze ranged southwards and stayed there.

"Um …… and the other thing?" he asked, somewhat distractedly.

Kristi blushed under his steady gaze. She had actually surprised herself with her forwardness, but Logan made her feel so …… so flirty. The second point she had actually planned to make vanished from her mind as her mate gazed on her so fixedly and she threw herself down beside him, crushing her lips to his, sucking his lower lip and teasing it with her tongue.

Logan groaned and pulled her onto him, fisting a hand into her hair as he sought to deepen the kiss. With his other hand he drew silky little circles on the skin of her back, making her giggle and squirm against him, which prompted another heated groan.

All too aware of the fact that her body was pressed against the whole delicious length of him, Kristi broke the kiss and nipped at his earlobe, her little tongue darting out to soothe the bite. Logan growled beneath her and she pushed a hand into his hair, beginning to track tender little kisses along his neck down to the hollow at the base of his throat. To her utmost surprise, he tilted his head back to allow her easier access, totally submitting to her ministrations. His growl changed to a deep intermittent rumble, which reverberated through her body and reminded her of a big contented cat. The hand on her back began to fumble with her bra clasp and, with a sudden jolt of clarity, Kristi realised she'd finally succeeded in unleashing her mate's desire. His ragged breathing and lust filled moans told her that she now had a wild and fully aroused Wolverine beneath her, and she was probably in imminent danger of losing her virginity. She should have been scared – at the very least, her parent's disapproval should have come to mind – but her mate's sexual purring was setting her ablaze and all she could think about was letting him make hot, passionate love to her. If this was submitting, then so be it – she would do it gladly!

"Ah Jesus, Kristi ……" Logan groaned softly as she fastened her teeth on his earlobe once more, her hot breath sending little shivers through his body. The hand at her back finally succeeded in popping her bra clasp and he allowed her the briefest of moments to let this sink in before tilting her gently back and pulling the offending piece of lingerie away, flinging it across the room. She caught the briefest glimpse of a pair of blackened feral eyes before his mouth fastened on the soft part of her neck, where it met her shoulder. He sucked once and then she yelped as he bit down hard, sharp canines puncturing the soft skin, at the very same moment as his hand snaked around her side to caress her breast.

"Mine!" he snarled, against her skin.

It was probably her yelp of pain and surprise that shocked him back to his senses – that and the image of a pair of trusting Asian eyes and the flash of a set of lethal claws. He released Kristi abruptly, pushing back the sheet and swinging his legs out of bed, fully intending to leave, only to feel the onset of the now familiar pain pulsing behind his eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his head in his hands, trying to push the pain back, but knowing he was doomed to fail. Jesus, he couldn't pass out now. Not in Kristi's bed ……

"Logan?" Her soft hand alighted on his back with the gentleness of a lover's touch and he couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through his body. He still wanted her, could feel his lust for her running through his veins, along with the shame that he had allowed himself to mark her – to hurt her. He took his hands away from his face and turned to look at her, feeling the pain in his head fade away as he did so. _What the …… ?_

She was sitting up behind him, the sheet pulled up to cover her breast, two puncture marks standing out starkly on her neck, oozing blood. He reached out a shaking hand to touch the wound and she tilted her head, nuzzling his hand like a love-starved kitten, bringing up one hand to cover his and keep it there.

"Why do you keep turning me away?" she whispered, softly. A single tear rolled down her cheek and splashed wetly onto the sheet. "Is it me? Am I not right for you? Are you wanting to negate the bond?"

"Fer Chrissakes, Kristi, no." He reached out and gathered her to him, stroking back her hair and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She fell into his embrace easily, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder, snuffling slightly. "Jesus, kid, ya should have been able ta feel how much I wanted ya through the bond. You were turnin' me on big time. I marked ya, fer Chrissakes!"

"Then what's the problem?" Kristi pulled back from him, her whole demeanour changed, her eyes filled now, not with tears, but with anger. "Why the hell do you keep avoiding me?"

"It's complicated." Logan looked away, unable to meet her eyes and so was unprepared for the finger that suddenly poked into his chest, the force of it almost tumbling him off the edge of the bed. "Cripes, Kris, what the hell …… ?"

"Quit holding out on me, Logan!" Kristi punctuated each of her words with a poke of the finger, earning a grunt at every one. "There's something wrong and I want to know what it is. We're bonded and, for good or for bad, whatever bothers you involves me now. So stop all this bullshit and get it out in the open where we can both work it out like two civilised beings. You followin' me, bub?"

Despite himself, Logan grinned a feral smile. "I knew there was a reason why I 'chose' you," he declared, proudly. "Had a feelin' my psyche would never allow me ta bond a wallflower."

"I'm waitin', bub." If Kristi had been standing, she would have been tapping her foot. She folded her arms across her chest, defiantly. "Out with it!"

Logan sighed, defeated by his little spitfire. "Well, maybe it is fer the best," he agreed, softly. He hitched his feet back onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, folding his arms in an unconscious imitation of his mate. Jean's words of advice floated back to him and he took a breath, realising that, now the moment had come, he actually felt calm. Once again, Jean had been right. Talking his problems out with Kristi was the right way to go ……

"This may come as a surprise ta ya," he began, slowly, "But I was once engaged ta be married." He smiled at the memory. "Her name was Mariko Yashida and, at the time, she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I loved her. An' she loved me right back, Kristi. Even when I was forced ta kill her father."

Kristi's breath caught in her throat at Logan's casual admission, but she said nothing, waiting patiently as he hesitated, seeming to relive the moment in his mind. Then, he began speaking again, slowly at first, but picking up speed as he gained more confidence. He linked with her, sending her the images from his memory that accompanied his words and Kristi gazed in awe at the beauty that was Mariko Yashida, knowing she held a special place in her mate's heart. She listened, spellbound, as Logan's story unfolded. He told her how he had been forced to kill Mariko's father, Shingen, because he was corrupt and was dragging the honourable clan Yashida down with him. How Mariko had assumed leadership of the clan upon her father's death and accepted Logan's proposal of marriage. However, on their wedding day, she had left her lover standing heartbroken at the altar, ridiculing him in front of their guests and calling him unworthy of her. Months later, she was discovered to be under the control of the villain Mastermind, who was using her connection to Logan to take revenge on the X-Men, and using her clan to further his own corrupt designs. With Mastermind defeated, Logan once again proposed. But, appalled at what she had been forced to do while under the villain's influence, Mariko refused, vowing to win back her clan's honour before she could take Logan as her husband. And so Logan waited, biding his time, knowing she would send for him when order had been restored. But that time never came. Dying a slow and painful death from blowfish poison administered by an assassin, Mariko begged her lover to allow her to die with honour and dignity.

Logan granted her wish, with his own claws.

Tears filled Kristi's eyes as Logan paused, obviously remembering the painful day he had been forced to take his lover's life. Mercifully, he had broken the link just before narrating that part of the tale, so Kristi was spared the awful grisly details, but she still felt the pain and finality of his decision. He was staring across the room at nothing, one hand at his side clenching and unclenching at the sheet spasmodically as if holding back claws that wanted to spring free and rend something. She wanted to reach out and hug him, but she knew instinctively that this wasn't the right time, so she waited, giving him the space he needed.

When he finally looked to her, his eyes still bore the horror of the painful memory. "So now ya know the reason why I've been actin' so screwy of late, Kristi. Mariko meant a lot ta me, an' ta lose her like that ……"

Kristi reached out to cover Logan's hand with her own. "Don't say anymore, Logan. I understand."

Logan nodded, touched by the sincerity in her voice, but still needing to clarify. "It'll haunt me fer the rest o' my life, Kris. Which is why I need time now. Time ta come ta terms with what's happenin' between us an' ta work myself out. It's not that I don't care about ya, Kris, it's just ……"

Kristi squeezed his hand. "Logan, I understand what you're trying to say. Please don't feel bad about this. If you need time, then take it. But I'll still be here if you need to talk or a shoulder to cry on." He raised an eyebrow at that. "And …… and I won't push you again. Not until you're ready." She pulled her hand back, turning her head away. "I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry."

Logan growled, his eyes flashing, darkly. "Don't you dare try ta take the blame fer this, Kristi! Weren't no one's fault. What happened between us this mornin' was right an' natural fer …… fer two ……"

"For two people falling in love?" offered Kristi, shyly.

Logan nodded. "Yeah." He pulled her into an awkward embrace, his fingers automatically finding his bite mark on her neck. She winced at the touch.

"Don't be sorry about that," she said, as she felt his shame. "I …… it hurt, but I wanted it."

"This changes nothin' between us, Kris." Logan lowered his head, gently licking the wound better. "Yer mine now, an' I ain't gonna abandon ya. But I won't do this again till I've finally put my ghosts behind me."

"Then I'll be waiting." Kristi placed her hand against his cheek, smiling as he pressed a kiss to her palm. Then he gently set her back and stood, glancing down at the alarm clock. "It's seven thirty. I have an early trainin' session at eight."

"Then you'd better be going." Kristi grinned up at him as he moved around the room, collecting his boots and clothing. "It wouldn't be seemly for the teacher to be late."

"Nah, they'll wait." Logan shrugged into his shirt, not wanting to leave Kristi's bedroom half dressed. As he sat on the edge of the bed to put on his boots, he noticed the little white tile on her bedside table. "What's this?"

"What? Oh, that?" Kristi leaned back against the pillow with a sigh. "It's a Scrabble tile. I was lying on it when I woke up." She grinned. "It's W for Wildstar."

Logan cocked an eyebrow at her. "Kinda poetic. It's also W for Wolverine ……"

**NEXT: **"So just how much of your personality is now Wolverine's, Kristi? And is it a two way switch?"


	11. Moods

Hey everybody! Well, this chapter was originally supposed to be mostly girl talk between Kristi and her little band of friends, but I figured that she and Logan hadn't really spent much time together since the whole story started, so I ended up extending their scene! One thing led to another, and the girlie talk will now take place in the next chapter!

Anyway, sincere apologies for the later than normal update. Due to us being extremely short staffed at work, I've had to do a lot of extra hours, which didn't leave much time for writing. Also, tomorrow I set off on my hols, so this will be my last update until I get back in a week's time. However, I am going to take my writing with me, so I should have the next two chapters ready for uploading by the time we get home!

My little band of reviewers have been busy with the button at the bottom of the page again! Thanks to **Sabrielle-X, nileena, wolfbane17, Sagas. pen, 12kirby12, FrozenVoices **and **Laudine!**

Onward! Our story awaits ...... !

**ooXoo**

**11. Moods**

Not wanting anyone to see him leaving Kristi's room, Logan cautiously checked the hallway before slipping through the door and closing it softly behind him. As he made his way to the stairs, he found himself whistling and he almost came to a halt, surprised at his own uncharacteristic good humour. Reaching inward, he found himself more at peace than he had felt in a long while. Kristi's presence pulsed reassuringly in his mind and he smiled, realising that he owed much of the unfamiliar calm to his bondmate. He had totally surprised himself by opening up to her that morning and revealing his feelings for Mariko, but the obvious hurt in her eyes had compelled him to speak and, now that he had shared his heart with her, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his mind. The problem hadn't vanished with the telling, but at least Kristi now knew she wasn't the cause of it. That she understood and was willing to support him while he came to terms with his new relationship was heartening.

At least he now understood the nature of the pain he had been experiencing of late, in fact had even suspected it was so. When he had turned away from Kristi that morning, the pain had immediately begun to build behind his eyes, yet had faded away the instant he turned back to her. Both times he had been knocked unconscious, he had either fled from her or avoided her company. The conclusion was obvious. The bond was punishing him for, as it thought, rejecting his mate. But Logan had no intention of rejecting her. The bond wouldn't know that, of course – it wasn't, after all, sentient. But the mere act of turning aside from her company had been enough to set off the bond's natural defence system – an unconscious reaction in his own mind to keep the two of them together. As long as he tried to avoid her company, his side of the bond would punish him for it. But things would be different now surely. With Kristi now aware of the situation, they could work together and resolve this. With any luck, he would have no further reason to try avoiding her.

But, considering the morning's new developments, he wondered why the hell he had ever wanted to. He grinned to himself as he stepped into the elevator, remembering the feel of Kristi's hands roaming his body and her hot breath in his ear. God, but he had bonded a little minx, that was for certain! She had always seemed so shy and unsure but, given the chance to get her hands on him, she had soon changed her colours. But then, they always said the quiet ones were the ones to watch out for. Not that he was complaining, mind you. He'd never been one to refuse the offer of sex, and he had no doubt in his mind that their passionate embrace would have led to just that. He wasn't sure how that made him feel. Kristi was only twenty-one and still a virgin, yet it was she who had taken control of the kiss, using all the feminine weapons at her disposal to ensnare him completely, wrapping him around her little finger. Hell, he had even bared his throat for her, and that was a first. It hadn't taken enhanced senses for him to realise she had been fully aroused and prepared to seduce him. She had wanted him, no question about that. And he had wanted her right back. Bad enough to mark her. And here Logan experienced his only pang of regret. At least he hadn't been in a full feral state when it occurred. Marking her was bad enough at this early stage in their relationship – to do so under the influence of the beast would have been unforgivable.

And yet …… Logan frowned to himself as he stepped out of the elevator and started down the shiny metal corridor. Kristi hadn't shown any fear of him. Exactly the opposite, if her annoyance in his reluctance to open up to her had been anything to go by. And she had said she had wanted the mark – in fact, was willing for him to do it again. It was a sobering thought for the man who had always figured himself for a loner. Maybe there was no reason for him to fear slipping into his feral state with Kristi after all. Perhaps, lurking under that quiet and unassuming exterior, there was a saucy hellcat waiting to emerge? One that, thanks to the bond, would know exactly which buttons to push in order to satisfy his needs. It had been a long time since he had known a woman with enough sass to handle a full-blooded level five feral and, despite telling Kristi that he needed time to adjust, he sincerely hoped he had finally found that woman in his bondmate. The initial signs were encouraging. Plus, he suspected he would get much enjoyment out of helping that saucy hellcat to emerge ……

The locker room was empty, but several uniforms were missing, evidence that at least some of his class were already waiting for him. He suited up quickly, now able to don his uniform in record time thanks to years of practise. His black T-shirt, however, was missing and he clicked his tongue in annoyance as he remembered dropping it into the laundry after his last defence class. But rather than trail all the way back upstairs for a clean one, he decided to go without and shrugged his jacket on over his bare torso, leaving it undone. He grinned smugly to himself. The girls would get a kick out of that ……

His good mood lasted throughout the entire training session, which was a rarity, as a group of kids gathered together invariably managed to do something to annoy him. But he didn't bat an eye when Psyche turned up late as usual, merely waving her into line with the other trainees when she gave the usual feeble excuse for her tardiness. And when Firefly pulsed brightly right in Wolfsbane's face, temporarily blinding her, he calmly helped the young lupine to her feet and organised Husk to accompany her to the med-lab so that Henry could check her over and make sure there were no lasting effects. The trainees by now were getting nervous. So when Cannonball overshot his mark not more than ten minutes later and barrelled into Wolverine with all the force of a runaway express train, hurling him across the Danger Room to collide painfully with the opposite wall, they fully expected some form of outburst. Wolverine, however, staggered to his feet, dusted himself off while waiting for his head to stop ringing, and then calmly told a startled Cannonball to watch where he was going next time. Behind his back, the trainees exchanged incredulous glances. This was behaviour totally unheard of from the feral X-Man and they were understandably disconcerted.

Totally unaware of the fact that he was completely freaking out his defence class, Logan put them into pairs and set them to sparring with each other, utilising moves he had designed specifically for the trainees with a mind for honing their fighting abilities, should they ever find themselves powerless and seemingly at their enemy's mercy. He wandered among them, offering advice here and there, and occasionally stepping in to correct a stance or refresh someone's memory on a particular move. His tone was light and easy, so unlike the gruff no-nonsense way he usually taught the trainees and there was much scratching of heads and exchanged glances as there was learning.

Two hours later, he brought the session to a close and sent the trainees for a 'light' run around the mansion grounds to cool off, amidst much groaning and pleas for leniency from his charges who had grown to like the new and improved Wolverine and were loathe to lose him. His good nature, however, didn't stretch so far as to stint on basic training and their pleas fell on deaf ears, as he ushered them out of the Danger Room and sent them on their way. Alone now, he headed back upstairs, his growling stomach reminding him he had skipped breakfast and sending him to the kitchen in search of food.

He picked up the delicate scent of freesia as he stepped out of the elevator and he inhaled deeply, knowing instantly who had recently walked down the hallway ahead of him. The trail was going in his direction, so he was content to follow it, taking a deep breath every few steps as if to remind himself of the face that belonged to the scent, though he needed no such reminders. The wearer's identity was forever etched on his psyche – he knew her face as well as he knew his own.

It was no surprise, therefore, to see Jean standing at the coffee maker as he pushed open the kitchen door. She looked up as he entered, her face breaking into a welcoming smile.

"Oh, hey Logan."

"Hey yerself, Jeannie."

"Been giving the girls palpitations again, eh?" She indicated the bare chest beneath his jacket with a nod of her head.

Logan looked down at himself and shrugged. "Don't hurt none," he grunted. "Makes 'em sharp. Forces 'em ta concentrate." He stalked to the refrigerator and opened the door, searching the contents for something edible.

Jean pushed back her hair with elegantly manicured fingers. "Y'know, Logan, when you've finished setting the girls' hearts all a-flutter, I usually have them for the next class. No wonder I can't teach them anything when they're all fantasising about your chest."

Logan ducked out from behind the fridge door, waggled an eyebrow at her and then disappeared back into the assorted goodies on offer.

"You're incorrigible, did you know that?" Jean leaned against the counter top and folded her arms, stifling a smile. Even without trying, she could sense Logan's good humour and she felt heartened by that. Hopefully, this meant he had taken her advice and spoken to Kristi.

"You know me, Jeannie, I aim ta please." Logan came out of the fridge with a covered bowl containing leftover pasta from the previous night's meal. He closed the door, snagged a fork from the cutlery drawer and began scarfing his prey as though famished. "Missed breakfast," he grunted past a mouthful of food, in reply to Jean's raised eyebrow.

"Obviously." Jean fixed herself a mug of coffee and then gestured to an empty mug. "Want one?"

"If ya don't mind." Logan leaned back against the counter top with a nod. "Black. No sugar."

Jean deftly poured another mug and pushed it across the counter top towards him. Logan nodded his thanks and pulled it nearer, wrinkling his nose as the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted around him.

Footsteps sounded out in the hallway as one class finished and the students headed for the next. Jean turned towards the door as if she could see the activity beyond, knowing that it was almost time for her own class but needing to talk to Logan about something close to his heart before she left. When she turned back, he was watching her with a steady eye and she blushed under his scrutiny, painfully aware that she was still not immune to his feral charm. Not many females were. Which brought her neatly back to the subject at hand ……

She coughed softly and cleared her throat before speaking. "I was wondering, Logan. Is Kristi okay? I haven't seen her all morning."

Logan shrugged, poking around in the bowl of pasta with his fork. "She was okay when I left her room this – um – when I saw her last. Why? Is something wrong?"

Jean shook her head quickly, her red hair tumbling about her shoulders. Logan hadn't been quick enough to cover his slip and she smiled to herself, inwardly. So he'd spent the night with Kristi, had he? Well, things were certainly looking up! "I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about, Logan. She's probably just slept in after a sleepless night." Logan's eyebrow twitched at this and Jean bit her tongue. _Stop it! Naughty girl! _"It's just that she didn't turn up this morning for her shielding session."

"She didn't?" Logan reached inward, 'feeling' for Kristi tentatively. Everything seemed normal enough, but then he hadn't realised she was picking up the effects of the alcohol the night before either. The bonding was so new to both of them that neither of them really knew how to read the signals it was giving them. It was like the blind leading the blind.

He covered his hesitation by shovelling in another forkful of pasta, aware that Jean was watching him with an interested expression. He clamped down hard on his shields. The last thing he needed was the telepath picking up a stray thought and learning about the bond. "Ya want me ta check on her, Jeannie? Make sure she's okay?"

"I'd appreciate it, Logan. I'd have checked myself, but if there's something wrong I'm sure she'd rather see you than me." She smiled encouragingly as Logan huffed. "For now, though, I've got a class to teach and I'm already running late." She took a last gulp of her coffee and put the mug on the drainer. "Catch you later, Logan."

"Sure." Logan watched her go, thoughtfully, still staring at the door long after it had swung closed behind the leggy redhead. Slowly, he finished off the pasta and placed the bowl on the drainer beside Jean's mug, all the while questing for Kristi and receiving absolutely nothing in return. With a disgruntled sigh, he left his coffee still steaming on the counter and went to find out what was so important as to make his mate forget an important shielding lesson.

**oooOOOooo**

"Kristi?"

There was no answer to his cautious knock, so Logan cracked open the door, peering into the darkened room beyond. The curtains were still closed and everything was still pretty much as he had left it. A Kristi-sized lump in the bed groaned weakly at his inquiry.

"This is hardly the time fer a lie-in, darlin'." Logan closed the door and stalked over to the bed, just in time to catch the evil eye that glared at him from the pillow. "Ya missed yer session with Jean."

"Bugger off, Logan. I hate you!"

"That's not what ya implied this morning'." Logan quirked an eyebrow at his bondmate as she pulled the comforter up to cover her head. "All those lovin' caresses, the passionate kiss …… a guy could be fooled inta thinkin' ya loved him."

"Well, I don't." Kristi's voice issued from under the comforter, somewhat muffled. "Go away."

The vehemence in her voice actually shocked him and he rocked back slightly as a spike of anger assaulted him through the bond. Puzzled, he sat on the edge of the bed, trying to pry the comforter from his mate's vice-like grip. "Kristi? This isn't like you, Kris. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Kristi pushed back the comforter to glare up at him with steely eyes. "I've got the headache from hell, is what's wrong! And it's all your fault!"

"My fault? How the hell could a headache be my fault? I don't …… oh." Understanding suddenly dawned on him and he looked down at her, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Ya've got my hangover?"

"It would appear so." Kristi tried to pull the comforter back up, but Logan held on to it tightly, denying her the opportunity to hide away from him again. She snorted, crossly. "I'm glad you think it's funny, 'cause from where I'm sitting it's not so amusing."

"But ya were okay when I left this mornin'." Logan frowned, trying to make sense of this new development.

Kristi snorted. "Yes. I was. At least until I tried to get out of bed and then a bomb went off in my brain. I wish you could have felt it, Logan, it was a singularly unique experience." She tugged angrily at the comforter, wincing as the sharp movement caused a wave of pain to blossom behind her eyes. It started small and radiated outwards, as though a tiny man with a pickaxe was desperately trying to dig through her skull. She closed her eyes, groaning as she tried to ride out the assault.

"Aw, babe, I'm sorry." Logan tried to pull her to him, but she fought him off, weakly.

"Go away. Leave me alone." Her voice was small and pitiful.

"I'm not leavin' ya alone. Yer hurtin'. An' yer right, it is my fault, in a roundabout way. I shoulda known what the bond would do."

"How could you have known? It's not as though there's a manual for this blasted bond, after all." Kristi sighed and allowed Logan to pull her close, propping her head on his shoulder. He brought his feet up onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard, crossing his legs at the ankles and wrapping his arms around her. Kristi snuggled close, desiring comfort, despite her earlier words to the contrary, and delighting in the feel of his strong arms around her, protecting her. Keeping a tight hold of the comforter lest it should slip – she was still wearing nothing but panties after all – she allowed Logan to rock her gently, stroking her hair and twining his big fingers in her curls.

Gradually, she began to relax, soothed by the motion of Logan's breathing. Her eyes fluttered closed and she had begun to drift away into a light doze when she felt Logan's body shift slightly as he looked down at her.

"Headache any better?" he asked, softly.

Kristi remembered just in time not to shake her head. "Not much. I've never had one like this before. It feels like my head's bursting."

"Can I try something?"

Kristi tilted her head gently to look up at him in suspicion. "Such as?"

She felt Logan shrug. "I'm not sure. But I think I can help. Drop yer shields."

Kristi hesitated a moment, then did as she was told, feeling the now familiar surge of Logan's presence in her mind as her mate also lowered his. Nothing happened for a second or two, but then something seemed to clamp around the ball of pain in her head, squeezing it as though attempting to throttle it into submission and sending a wave of cold radiating outwards from that single point, like water being dumped on a forest fire. It was a strange sensation and she shivered, feeling her mate's arms tighten around her, protectively. Logan, eyes closed and head tilted back against the headboard, grunted once and then flinched slightly as though gut punched, before letting out a ragged sigh. Kristi gasped and sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest, the pain miraculously gone.

"What did you do?" she asked, incredulously.

Logan shrugged, opening his eyes and gazing at her, earnestly. "I don't know," he admitted. "I think I pulled the pain inta me an' …… smothered it. It seemed the right thing ta do."

Kristi sighed and snuggled back into his chest, resting her head over his heart. The beat was strong and strangely soothing. Logan wrapped his arms around her once more, nuzzling into her hair as she lay against him.

"Do you think we'll ever get it all figured out, Logan?" Kristi asked him, softly, slipping a hand beneath his jacket and calmly exploring the broad expanse of chest she found there. Her mate shivered at her touch and she felt an answering surge of arousal run through her own body. Realising their shields were still down, resulting in each touch and emotion being heightened to its fullest, Kristi stilled her hand, shocked and yet strangely delighted at the response she could provoke in the tough and seemingly unmovable feral.

Logan took a moment to collect his thoughts before answering. "Get what figured out, Kris?"

"The bond." Kristi tugged the comforter higher, as the weight of Logan's arms dragged it down – not altogether an accident, she figured. "We haven't a clue what we're doing half the time, Logan. Doesn't it scare you? That one of us will do something wrong and hurt the other?"

"I don't think it works that way, Kris." Logan surreptitiously exerted a little more pressure on the comforter, stopping only when the upper swell of his mate's breasts came into view. It was an intoxicating sight. Kristi huffed and tugged the comforter up once more. "I don't think the bond will allow us ta hurt each other."

"But there could be other side effects that we don't even know about," argued Kristi. "Like the drinking thing. I don't want to be staggering about like a loon every time you have a night on the town. What if the Professor had seen me? Bad enough that we ran into Jean and Scott."

"You did?" Logan shrugged. "Jean didn't mention that." He gave Kristi a squeeze, unintentionally inching the comforter lower again. "Look, whatever comes along, Kris, we'll deal with it, okay? I'm not the only feral ever to bond a mate. They managed. So will we."

Kristi nodded, her hair rustling against his leather jacket. "We'll manage," she agreed, easily. "But I warn you, Logan, if you ever get me falling down drunk again, believe me, I will starbolt you so hard it'll take you a week to walk back to the mansion! It wasn't funny!"

Logan, however, thought otherwise. "I wish I'd been there. I only caught the tail-end of it, but yer cute when yer drunk."

Kristi punched him in the ribs and Logan grunted, catching her hand and pressing a kiss to her fingers. "Look, Kris, I'd love ta lie in bed with ya all day, but I gotta go. I promised Kitty I'd give her a simulated lesson in the Black Bird this afternoon. She's due to take her first real flight soon an' she needs more practise hours."

"I thought you didn't like flying?" questioned Kristi, as Logan shifted off the bed, leaving her to snuggle under the covers.

"This isn't flyin', it's the simulator," responded Logan, guardedly, then figured _What the hell?_ "It's not so much the Black Bird I don't like, it's Scott _flyin'_ the Black Bird." He snorted. "The guy gets delusions o' grandeur the minute he gets behind the stick. Kitty'll be a natural, as soon as she can figure out how ta stop Lockheed from chasin' all the flashin' lights an' flickin' switches."

Kristi peered at him, curiously. "Who's Lockheed?"

"Her dragon."

"Her …… what? A dragon? Kitty's got a dragon?" Kristi sat up, forgetting about the comforter and letting it fall slightly, giving Logan a tantalising view of pleasures to come. "Why the hell didn't anyone tell me?"

Logan scratched his head, distractedly. "Well, things have been kinda intense lately. An' Kitty's been away fer a while. Guess we all forgot." He shrugged. "Don't worry, you'll meet Lockheed soon enough. He's probably been sussin' ya out from afar, knowin' him. He'll introduce himself when he's sure ya ain't a threat."

"He will?" Kristi looked around her room warily, as if expecting a dragon to appear at any moment. "Logan …… ?"

"I gotta go, darlin'." Logan strode to the door, raising his shields and feeling Kristi do the same. "I'll catch ya later." He opened the door, preparing to leave for the second time that day, then hesitated as a thought occurred to him. "Kristi, the drinkin' thing …..? If_ you_ get drunk when _I_ drink, d'ya think …… ?"

He scooted quickly out into the hallway as Kristi's pillow rebounded off the rapidly closing door behind him ……

**NEXT: **Girl talk and chocolate ice cream!


	12. Kiss and Tell

Hey everyone! Well, I'm back from roaming the Scottish Highlands and pleased to announce the arrival of the next chapter!

Before I continue, FrozenVoices has suggested that the regular reviewers should have a group name! Well, I love this idea! I've come up with Logan's Wolverettes and Feral Furies myself! And my husband's suggestion and personal favourite, Sheryl's Ferals! Anyway, I thought I would roll this idea out to the rest of my readers! Can you come up with any better suggestions? Let me know when you review and I'll pick my favourite and use it before each review acknowledgement!!

Once again, the loyal band have been busy with the button at the bottom of the page! Thanks to **Sabrielle-X, FrozenVoices, wolfbane17, sagas. pen, nileena, Laudine **and **TheWolvGambit!**

Onward! The saga continues ...... !

**ooXoo**

**Kiss and Tell**

After Logan left, Kristi found herself drifting off, lulled to sleep by the lack of pain in her head and the comfort of her mate's body heat lingering in the sheets. Her dreams, when they came, were filled with images of sensual blue eyes and whispered words promising secret desires, which dissipated like mist when she tried to catch hold of them, leaving her bereft and aching for her lover's touch. In her sleep, she whimpered softly as strong dream arms caught her up and carried her away ……

She awoke with a jolt some time after eight, as a pair of noisy feet stomped past her door. Pushing back the comforter, she got to her feet gingerly, half expecting a repeat performance of the morning's 'hangover', but her head stayed thankfully clear and she ambled into the bathroom, groaning as she caught sight of rumpled hair and slightly smudged make-up in the mirror. _Jesus!_ She quickly stripped off her panties and hopped into the shower, letting the warm water caress her body like a lover as it washed away the cobwebs from her mind and the tangles from her hair. Feeling revitalised, she stepped from the shower and reached for a towel, as persistent rumbles from her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten since dinner the previous evening. What with one thing or another, she hadn't even thought about food, but now she was obviously hungry and she quickly made up her mind to dress and remedy the situation as soon as possible. As she had already missed dinner, it seemed that a kitchen raid was the order of the day.

As she towelled her hair dry, she thanked her lucky stars that she had no need of school lessons like the younger students, because missing a whole day's worth of them for no good reason would surely have incurred the Professor's wrath. Having officially left school, the only schooling she required now was team training and, with no Danger Room sessions scheduled for that day, the only class she had actually missed was her shielding training with Jean. Bad enough to miss that though. Without shields, she would broadcast her emotions constantly to Logan and also run the risk of tuning in to his ever present nightmares. This had already happened once and she had no desire to repeat the experience. Missing another session was definitely not an option.

Tossing her damp towel on the floor, Kristi reached for her hairbrush …… and froze, turning slightly to study her reflection in the mirror, her eyes drawn inevitably to her neck. The site of Wolverine's bite stood out starkly against the paleness of the surrounding skin, the twin puncture wounds of his canines surrounded by purple bruising where he had sucked briefly. She raised a hand to touch the wound almost reverently, a jolt of pure animal lust passing through her body at the realisation that her mate had finally marked her. She was his now, body and soul, and nothing would have pleased her more than to display the mark proudly and let her team-mates know that Logan had found her worthy of him.

However, this was totally out of the question. To let everyone see the mark would be to betray Logan's trust, so she opened her bathroom cabinet and hunted around inside for the dressing strips she knew she had squirreled away in there somewhere, after gaining a particularly unpleasant blister one time during a training session. Finally locating them hiding behind a large bottle of freshmint mouthwash, she fitted a large one over the bite and stepped back to study her reflection. It looked as though she had been attacked by the vampire bat from hell but, as long as everyone assumed she had hurt herself training, she would be fine. Maybe she could pass it off as an injury from the obsidian robot session …… ?

Another growl from her empty stomach prompted her to finish dressing quickly. Throwing on a pair of khaki combats and a yellow hooded top, she gave her still damp hair a cursory brush and pushed it back to dry naturally, before slipping out of her room and heading downstairs.

Sounds of merriment from the rec room diverted her attention momentarily. Several students were obviously playing pool and the TV was blaring out a raucous racing game – Bobby was evidently indulging in his favourite pastime with the X-Box. He owed her a re-match – he had soundly thrashed her the last time they had played together on the Hawaii circuit and she had no intention of letting him get away with it. But tonight was not the night for grudge races. Her only goal was in reaching the fridge before the chequered flag fell and relieving it of something yummy and filling.

The mansion's kitchen was a favourite meeting place for the residents. At any time of the day or night, someone in search of a snack was usually guaranteed to encounter a fellow X-Man or student who was similarly engaged and pleasant conversation would often ensue. However, on this occasion, the kitchen was totally devoid of any late night snackers, and Kristi was free to pillage the contents of the fridge without distraction. Her choices were varied, but she finally pulled out the fixings for a cheese and pickle sandwich and carried this, along with a large glass of milk, to the table.

As she ate, she quested for Logan, finding him contented and relaxed. Whatever he was doing, it was something he enjoyed – the feeling was akin to a cat with a bowl of cream. Smiling, she sent an image of a kiss, receiving something she could only describe as a mental snort in return.

The mansion around her gradually grew quiet, as students drifted off to their rooms or took refuge in the rec room for the evening. Kristi finished her sandwich and leaned back in her chair with a sigh, cradling her glass of milk. Hesitantly, she reached out with her mind, latching on to the familiar presence of her mate and drawing him in until he filled her with his essence. Breathing deeply and trying to relax, she attempted to link with him, curious as to why he felt so at peace. With everything that had been going on lately with Blizzard, this was surely a contradiction. But the link proved elusive – try as she might she just couldn't make contact and she clicked her tongue in annoyance as his essence slipped through her mental fingers like mist. Logan made linking look so easy but, to her, it felt like trying to capture water with a net. Despite her frequent attempts, she had never yet established a solid connection with her mate and she yearned to do so, primarily because she hated anything to get the better of her, and also because she suspected it would make Logan proud if she suddenly established a connection without his help.

As she was concentrating, she didn't notice footsteps out in the hallway until the kitchen door was pushed open with a bang. Startled, she yelped, almost dropping her glass of milk, as the new arrivals clattered into the kitchen, totally oblivious to her presence.

"I tell you, Gina, it's not like Blizzard to be so evasive." Jubilee gestured expansively at her friend to prove her point. "And did you see the way Psyche looked at me? I swear those two are up to something!"

"I absolutely refuse to be drawn into this conversation one more time, Jubilee. Drop it, or else!" Gina turned from the indignant young mutant to see Kristi sitting quietly at the table. "Hey, Kristi! So you're up at last! Hungry?" she added, nodding to the girl's empty plate.

Kristi nodded as her two friends each pulled out a chair and joined her. "I missed dinner," she said, by way of explanation. She tossed Jubilee a cautious glance. "I couldn't help overhearing what you said about Blizzard, Jubes. Has he been tormenting Logan again?"

"No, he hasn't." Gina put a hand over the young firecracker's mouth before she could comment. "We just bumped into him and Psyche in the hallway and Jubilee seems to think they're plotting doom and gloom for the entire team."

"Psyche looked at me funny," insisted Jubilee, pulling Gina's hand away and pouting, huffily.

"You're paranoid, Jubes. Blizzard and Psyche are not out to get you, they were just chatting. And, in a valiant attempt to change the subject, Kristi, how are you feeling? Better? Logan told us you were sleeping and not to disturb you, but he didn't say why."

"I'm feeling much better, thank you, but I wish he hadn't let me sleep." Kristi stared unhappily into her glass of milk. "I've missed an entire day."

"Don't worry, you didn't miss much," put in Jubilee, with an un-ladylike snort. "Our only highlight was Bobby tripping over a patio chair and falling into the swimming pool."

"Some would say he was pushed," declared Gina, with a none too subtle glance at Jubilee. Jubilee made a show of looking around the kitchen for the culprit, as Kristi sniggered into her glass of milk.

"So what was the matter with you this morning?" asked Jubilee, innocently, bringing the subject neatly back to the matter at hand. She leaned onto the table and rested her chin in her hands. "Wolvie wouldn't tell us." She made a face. "Like we're not best friends, or anything."

"He probably didn't want you worrying about me," offered Kristi, helpfully, making Gina's eyes widen in surprise. "Not that you needed to worry about me. Nothing bad happened, honest," she added, waving a hand, dismissively. "It's silly really."

"Well?" asked Jubilee, when no more information was forthcoming. "Elaborate, please."

Kristi hesitated, slightly embarrassed by the fact that her bondmate's night out had caused so much chaos. It couldn't have been much worse if she'd downed four bottles of beer herself!

"Does it have anything to do with that dressing on your neck?" Gina leaned forward curiously as Kristi slapped a hand to the wound. "What dressing?"

"The one you're so desperately trying to hide." Gina reached out to push her hand away, touching the dressing gently. "What did you do, Kristi? This wasn't here last night."

"It's nothing. It's …… um …… it's a bite."

"A bite? Geez, Kristi, it must have been some bug!"

"Well, it wasn't exactly a bug." Kristi paused, peering shyly at Gina from beneath lowered lashes. "It's …… well, actually, it's a Wolverine bite."

Both girls gaped at her in open mouthed amazement until Gina squealed, making Jubilee jump. "Oh my God! He marked you! That is seriously awesome!"

Kristi nodded, proudly, while Jubilee looked on in confusion. "I assume this 'marking' has some significance?"

"Jubilee! How can you have partnered a feral for so long, and yet still be so dense? Marking his mate is only the single most important aspect of a feral's bonding!" Gina looked incredulous that Jubilee didn't know this. "It means he's fully claimed Kristi as his. His scent and the mark will warn other males, particularly ferals , away."

"Wow!" breathed Jubilee, eyes wide. "All that in one little bite?"

"It's a symbolic thing, really," continued Gina, as Kristi looked on, enthralled by the information. "His scent on his mate would be enough to warn off other ferals in reality, but the physical marking usually occurs during moments of sexual arousal, reinforcing the connection between them and making the bond stronger." Gina turned to Kristi with a sly grin. "Which all begs the question; for this marking to occur, just how far did your sexual arousal get?"

Kristi blushed furiously as Jubilee looked to her with obvious interest. "You really are the most incredibly nosy pair," she managed to stutter out. "It was all entirely innocent."

"Kristi, do you honestly realise how lame that sounds?" Jubilee waggled her eyebrows, totally unashamed. "The last thing I remember, Wolvie was carrying you, completely legless I might add, to bed. Methinks the lucky feral did more than simply tuck you in!"

"Jubilee, you've got a dirty mind, did you know that?" Kristi snorted, but still managed to blush an even deeper shade of red, her cheeks burning. "Like I said, it was all entirely innocent. Logan carried me to bed, as you saw, but I remember saying something about being scared of nightmares and he ended up staying with me. I seem to think he intended leaving after I had gone to sleep, but he was still there when I woke up." She smiled at the memory, totally oblivious to the rapt expressions of Jubilee and Gina, who were both leaning on the table now, fully focused on her story. "He was all bare chested and manly and I couldn't help it – I just had to touch." She made stroking motions with her hands. "Well, he woke up and one thing led to another and before I knew it we were in a passionate clinch and he was ripping my ……. Well, enough about that!" She blushed once more, furiously. "I swear though, we were both so turned on that if I hadn't yelped when he bit me, we would have gone all the way!"

"Whoa!" Jubilee breathed out, her eyes dreamy. "Did you want to? Go all the way, I mean?"

"I ……" Kristi paused, thinking back. "Yes, I did, Jubilee. I wanted him so bad it hurt."

Jubilee puffed out a wistful sigh, but Gina, slightly older and more logical, instantly saw the flaw in Kristi's statement and frowned. "If you're seriously considering going down that road, Kristi, I hope you're on some form of contraception. If you're not, I strongly recommend a trip to see Henry and get yourself sorted out. I don't think Logan would be pleased to see you get pregnant at this early stage in your relationship."

"Geez, I hadn't thought of that!" Kristi admitted her oversight with an embarrassed grin. "You're right, Gina. But how can I broach the subject to Henry without revealing my attachment to Logan?"

"Uh …… guys?" Jubilee looked from one to the other, a worried frown creasing her forehead, clearly having something to add. But Gina, intent on helping Kristi resolve her problem, didn't notice the young firecracker's discomfort. "There are other reasons for needing to use contraceptives than an active sex life," she advised, knowingly. "You could say you get stomach cramps during your time of the month, maybe?"

"Okay." Kristi nodded, slowly. "That'd work. Henry won't be suspicious and I'll be protected if Logan and I get carried away again." She giggled, nervously. "God, this is weird! It feels like I'm planning to seduce him!"

"Better safe, than sorry," quoted Gina, wisely.

"Guys!" Jubilee finally got a word in edgeways, her raised voice attracting her friends' attention.

"What's up, Jubes?"

Jubilee hesitated slightly, reluctant to speak now that she had center stage. "Y'know, I really hate to be the one to rain on your parade, but I think there's something you ought to know." She licked her lips nervously, knowing that her news was not likely to be well received. "I don't think Kristi's gonna get pregnant."

"Why the hell not? Who died and made you a seer, Jubes?"

"This isn't prophesy, this is fact, Gina." Jubilee shifted uncomfortably on her chair, wincing inwardly at Kristi's pained expression. "Pregnancies between two mutants are extremely rare. The possibility increases slightly between a mutant and a non-powered human, but the pregnancy rate is still remarkably less than between two X-negative humans. It's something to do with the X-Gene. It acts as a natural contraceptive."

"But that can't be right, Jubilee. How do you explain us?" Gina spread her arms in a gesture that took in herself and her two companions.

Jubilee shrugged. "Look, I'm not the scientist, okay? I'm just repeating what Henry's discovered. Besides, I'm willing to bet that both your parents are X-Gene negative, right?"

Gina nodded, dumbly.

"Kristi?"

"Both normal." Kristi whispered, barely audible. "Jubilee, are you telling me I can't have Logan's children?"

"Well, no, just that the chance of you actually conceiving are about a million to one, so you don't have to worry about Logan getting you pregnant and ……" She broke off as big wet tears began to roll down Kristi's cheeks. "Oh, crap!"

"Kristi? Kristi, what's the matter?" Gina hitched her chair nearer, draping her arm around her friend's shoulders and hugging her close. "Tell us what's wrong."

"I wanted children someday, Gina," Kristi sniffled, tearfully. "Two. A boy and a girl. One would look like me and the other like his father. Only now, because I've fallen in love with a mutant, I'll never be able to have any."

As the terrible realisation dawned on her, the floodgates opened and she sobbed helplessly onto Gina's shoulder. Gina held her, rubbing her back and trying to give her comfort as Jubilee looked on in horror. "Come on, hon, Jubilee didn't say children were impossible, just rare." Gina spoke the words knowing, even as she did so, that they would be no comfort whatsoever. She looked up, helplessly. "Do something, Jubilee! If Logan catches a whiff of this through the bond, he'll be in here like a ton of bricks!"

"What _can_ I do?" Jubilee cast around her anxiously, then grinned and lunged for the fridge ……

Gina gently pushed Kristi back, pulling a hankie from her jeans pocket and using it to dry her friend's tears. "Come on, sweetie, don't do this. I know you're upset, but you'll be transmitting all this to Logan and if he gets upset then we may as well run for cover right now, 'cause he's an ornery dude when he's riled."

Kristi sniffled, but managed a weak smile. "I'm not sending," she informed her friend. "I've got my shields up."

"Well, that's a good thing," responded Gina, casually, hoping to raise her spirits with easy talk. She smiled as Kristi took the hankie and blew into it, vigorously. "There you go. Let it all out and you'll soon feel better."

"I'm sorry." Kristi wiped her eyes, snuffling sadly. "I didn't mean to unload all this onto you. It just came out."

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault. You had a shock." Gina took her hand and forced her to look into her eyes. "I can understand how you feel, Kristi. You see, I was hoping to have children with Mark one day. My chances of that are only slightly better than yours, but the odds still hurt."

Realising that they were both in the same boat, the two girls moved into a hug, sharing their pain and letting their actions speak louder than the words they left unsaid. They each knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the other was there for them, through thick or thin.

They moved apart, just as Jubilee plonked two bowls down on the table in front of them. Gina eyed them, suspiciously. "What's this?"

"What does it look like?" Jubilee sat down with her own bowl, licking her lips in anticipation of the treat to come. "Chocolate ice cream! The ultimate cure for whatever ails you!"

Gina pulled her bowl closer. "Good thinking, Jubilee!" She loaded her spoon with a generous helping, nibbling at it daintily. "Yummy! Trust chocolate ice cream to make everything seem rosy. Why is that, do you think? Must be a girl thing."

Jubilee watched as Kristi picked delicately at her serving. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier," she said, softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought you should know."

Kristi managed a smile. "It's okay, Jubes. I'll be fine. I just had a bit of a shock, that's all."

"How's Logan?" asked Gina, licking her spoon. "Did he miss all the fuss?"

Kristi reached outwards, questing for her mate. "Still content," she announced. "I wish I knew what he was doing. It's not like him to be so quiet."

"He's probably knocking ten bells out of the battle droids in the Danger Room," remarked Jubilee.

Kristi shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I've linked with him enough times during training to know how that feels. This is different." She snorted. "You'd think our bond could come up with an easier way for us to know what the other is doing. Instead, it just likes to cause chaos. Like the drinking thing. Is it fair that Logan gets to drink and I just get the hangover?"

"Oh, is that what happened this morning?" Gina grinned when Kristi nodded, sadly. "Perhaps you should be careful what you ask for? After all, you still have a certain amount of privacy from each other. Imagine what it would be like if you always knew what the other was doing or thinking." Kristi pulled a face. "Besides, you could always return the favour for the drinking."

"Yeah, Logan suggested that. I think he wants to know what it feels like, but I'll save that one for our first argument. The ultimate revenge! Down three or four beers just before he practises the forms with the Yashida blade and then watch him trying to hold Crane in a Cornfield!"

Jubilee snorted into her ice cream. "You wouldn't!"

Kristi waggled her eye brows. "Try me!"

Jubilee laughed and licked thoughtfully at a spoonful of ice cream. "Y'know, Kristi, you've changed an awful lot in the past few months."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Definitely good. You're far more confident and relaxed than you were when you joined us. But I see a lot of Logan in you now too. Especially the growling!"

Kristi frowned. "But that's a good thing too, right? It means our bond is getting stronger."

"I guess."

Kristi stirred her ice cream, thoughtfully. "Logan's personality is very strong," she admitted. "Sometimes it's difficult to block him out, especially if I'm angry or upset."

"Or drunk," added Gina, with a grin.

Kristi blushed. "Don't remind me! I don't think I'll ever forget the look on Scott's face when I called him Scooter!"

"You remember that?" asked Jubilee, curiously.

Kristi nodded. "Every second. As plain as day."

"You know, I really don't see any reason why the personality switch shouldn't be two-way," Gina offered, speculatively. "It probably wouldn't be as pronounced with Logan as it is with Kristi, as he is the dominant personality after all, but my father's files seemed to suggest that the female's traits often came through in the male. So I wouldn't be surprised to see some of Kristi's personality finally coming out in Logan."

Jubilee choked suddenly as she inhaled some ice cream and Gina leaned over to thump her helpfully on the back. As the spasm eased, Jubilee put down her spoon to wipe tears away from her eyes and grinned at her friend. "Thanks, G! Sorry about that! I just had this insane vision of Wolvie wearing pink and taking up knitting!"

Kristi and Gina joined in the laughter, enjoying the mental image Jubilee's words provoked. In the midst of the hilarity, the kitchen door opened and Logan entered. Wearing ripped jeans and an old checked shirt which were both stained with motorcycle oil, the mystery of what was keeping him so engrossed and content was finally solved.

He stopped as he noticed the three giggling girls and regarded them suspiciously, which only made them laugh harder.

"Hey, Wolvie!" Jubilee waggled her fingers at him. "Whatchya doin'?"

Logan's only reply was a non-committal grunt, as his eyes flicked uneasily between the three girls. Finally figuring that this was really something that he ought to steer well clear of, he stalked to the fridge and pulled open the door.

Jubilee mimed chugging a bottle of beer as he rummaged around inside, clearly searching for something. Kristi's eyes were unerringly drawn to the tantalising glimpse of leg he was showing through a particularly large rip in the back of his jeans and she grunted as Gina elbowed her in the ribs.

When Logan finally straightened and closed the refrigerator door, he held, not the expected bottle of beer, but the tub of chocolate ice cream.

All three girls couldn't help staring at him in astounded fascination as he snagged a spoon from the cutlery drawer, popped the lid from the ice cream tub and helped himself to a large chocolatey mouthful. His eyes closed briefly in obvious bliss.

When he opened them again, he couldn't help but notice the girls' open mouthed stares. "What?" he demanded.

Without waiting for a reply, he stalked from the kitchen, carrying his chocolate treat possessively.

Silence reigned as the three girls watched the door swing closed behind him. Then Gina turned to regard her two companions with a barely repressed smile.

"I rest my case," she declared, simply.

**oooOOOooo**

Blizzard stepped back as Wolverine stalked down the hallway, flattening himself against the library wall in an attempt not to be noticed. Wolverine, seemingly preoccupied with other matters, passed by without spotting the young X-Man lurking in the shadows.

"Is that everyone?" Psyche stepped forward, appearing out of the gloom of the darkened room like a ghost.

Blizzard nodded. "Everyone's accounted for," he acknowledged.

Psyche lifted a finger to tap the comlink in her ear, obviously receiving a message. A sly smile began to appear on her face.

"Outside contacts have also been established," she relayed to Blizzard. "That's everyone accounted for." She stepped forward, her eyes alight with almost religious fervour. "This is it, Blizzard! The attack is on! The X-Men are going down!"

**NEXT: **Chaos reigns as the mansion comes under attack!


	13. Takedown!

Hello everyone! Here I am at last, with another chapter!

**Logan's Wolverettes: **Many thanks to **FrozenVoices, sagas. pen, nileena, Laudine, 12kirby12 **and **Wolfbane17! **And a quick note to any new reviewers - review three times in a row and keep up a consistant record and I will add you to the hallowed ranks of the world famous afore-mentioned Wolverettes! (Well, perhaps not _world_ famous, but at least fairly well known!)

And a special mention to **Sabrielle-X **- get well soon, sweetie!

And now - let battle commence ...... !

**ooXoo**

**Taked****own!**

"What the …… ?"

Scott Summers looked up in alarm as the phone out in the hallway began to ring shrilly. With the Professor and most of the students safely tucked up in their beds, he'd borrowed the Professor's study for somewhere quiet to read the essays he'd set for his Tactical Evasion class the previous week but, with his peace now shattered, he leaned back in his chair and removed his ruby glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose, carefully keeping his eyes closed. He knew several of the other senior X-Men were still up and around, so he wasn't in any hurry to answer the phone himself but, when several minutes had passed and the shrill ring still hadn't abated, he realised he would have to sort it or risk waking the entire mansion.

"Dammit!" He rammed his glasses back into place and pushed back his chair, irritably. It had to be a casual caller – anyone else would have called the cell phone of the person they were trying to contact, or used the Professor's private line. A quick glance at his watch told him it had just gone one thirty in the morning. "Who the hell could be ringing at his hour?" He opened the study door with an annoyed tug and began to jog down the hallway beyond. "I swear if Logan's gone out and forgotten his gate pass again, I'll ……"

He let the threat go unsaid as he reached the phone and grabbed the receiver, remembering just in time to be polite – this _was_ an unknown caller, after all.

"Xavier's. Scott Summers speaking. How can I help you?"

"Scott? You're one of the X-Men, right?"

Scott almost dropped the receiver as the female voice calmly announced that their cover was blown. "Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you know of the X-Men?"

"I …… Listen, there isn't time to explain all that. My name is Belle Valenti. I'm a barmaid at Harry's Hideaway and I think you're all in great danger."

"Danger? What kind of danger?" Scott was still reeling from the revelation that she knew he was an X-Man.

"I don't know exactly ……" The voice at the other end of the phone sounded edgy. "Look, someone's just attacked two of your friends – Mark and Rik? – in the car park here at Harry's. I couldn't see who it was in the dark and I was too far away to help, but your friends went down hard and fast. And whoever took them out, I think they're gunning for you and the rest of the team next."

Scott stared at the receiver in confusion. _Is this true? Surely it's a hoax? But then, she knows about the X-Men. _He shook his head, trying to organise his thoughts. "Look, Miss, I'll need more proof than that. I can't put the mansion on alert just because ….." There was an audible click from the receiver and the line went dead. "Miss? Miss Valenti?" Scott replaced the receiver with a worried frown. Well, that was certainly suspicious. She hadn't just hung up, the line had definitely gone dead. Had she been attacked for trying to warn them?

Opening his mind, Scott reached out to the Professor, knowing that he always kept a mental ear open for any alert from his X-Men but, despite 'calling' several times, he received no reply. Puzzled, he turned his focus to Jean, feeling safe in the knowledge that she, of all people, would hear his call. But he received nothing in return.

Worried now, he mind-spoke Psylocke, but once again, the telepathic airwaves were silent. A feeling of dread began to creep over him. He had last seen Jean just under two hours ago, when she had called in on him for a goodnight kiss before retiring to bed. Why the hell wasn't she answering his call? Were they under attack? What was he to do?

Coming to a decision, Scott started down the hallway, heading for the stairs. His first priority was in securing the mansion, quickly and quietly, without alarming the students, before tracing their missing telepaths. To this end, he needed to send out a strike team to secure the perimeter and watch for possible attack. And to lead that team, he had the perfect candidate in mind ……

**oooOOOooo**

Kristi woke from a dreamless sleep as a soft tap sounded at her bedroom door. She blinked muzzily and rolled over to focus on the digital display of her alarm clock. It was almost 2.00am. Snorting in disgust, she reached out to flick on her bedside lamp, blinking as the pale glow illuminated her room.

"Who is it?" she called out.

Kitty Pryde stepped quickly into her room. Kristi immediately went on alert, noticing that her fellow X-Man was wearing her fighting leathers.

"You'd better get suited up, Kristi, we've got trouble," she said, without preamble. "Scott thinks we're going to come under attack. He's already sent out a strike team to secure the perimeter, but he needs you and Jubilee to gather the trainees in this wing and meet him in the War Room."

Kristi had flung back her bed covers at Kitty's first words and was already reaching into her wardrobe for her uniform. Like most of the X-men, she had taken to keeping a spare in her room for emergencies. "What about you?" she asked, as Kitty turned back to the door.

"Me and Remy are going to get the students from the other wing," she answered, quickly. "We need to keep them calm, so his empathy will come in handy."

Kristi nodded as she pulled on her gold spandex T-shirt. Well, that made sense. Some of the students, particularly Firefly and Wolfsbane, were young and liable to panic if they thought they were in danger. Remy's empathy and natural charm could diffuse many a hasty situation.

"Okay. Be careful."

Kitty nodded, tactfully avoiding reminding Kristi that she had been an X-Man far longer than the older girl, and ducked out of the door. As she ran down the hallway, Kristi could have sworn she heard a pair of small wings flapping along behind her, but she saw nothing and dismissed it as her imagination.

It only took minutes to get into her uniform, but she used this time to quest for Logan. He was focused and calm, but also held a certain amount of quiet determination which she recognised from their solo work-outs. He was obviously in hunting mode. She sent him the mental image of a question mark, which she tried to imbue with as much sense of 'Where are you?' as she could. His answer, a sudden linking, came so unexpectedly that she staggered into her chest of drawers. As she straightened, she sent a sharp spike of annoyance. She didn't expect an answer and she didn't receive one. He was too focused on the task at hand.

Being linked was similar to having an internal TV running in her head. She could see what she was doing with no interruption, yet she could also 'see' what Logan was doing in her mind's eye. Practise meant she could focus exclusively on her own sight or tune it out to focus on Logan's if the situation called for it, much as he had done when he had needed to remove two bullets from his leg using her viewpoint. It was a unique way of keeping in contact during combat situations. So far, they had not had chance to test it out in battle. That he had linked with her now suggested that Logan suspected they were about to get that opportunity.

His viewpoint showed that he was somewhere out in the mansion grounds – near the lake, if she hadn't missed her guess. She nodded once in swift understanding. It stood to reason that Cyclops would send his best tracker out to patrol the grounds when an attack was suspected. If anyone tried to get past their perimeter, Logan would pick up their scent with his enhanced senses and either sound the alarm or take them out solo, if he was able.

Shrugging into her black leather jacket, Kristi strode through her still open door and almost collided with Bobby and Jubilee out in the hallway. Jubilee looked calm, but Bobby's eyes kept darting nervous glances to left and right, as though he feared an attack at any moment.

"Good, you're ready." Jubilee was all professionalism, no trace of her flippant attitude now. "I've already got Bobby," she added, needlessly. "Let's round up the rest of the gang."

The X-Men and senior trainees – those who were expected to join the elite team's ranks after graduation – were roomed in one wing of the house, while junior students and those just attending the school to learn how to use their powers safely were roomed in another. With the current state of training, Kristi and Jubilee expected to find four trainees – if not still tucked in their beds, then at least waiting in their rooms wondering what was going on. It quickly became clear that trainees were missing.

"What the hell's going on?" demanded Jubilee, uneasily, after a search of the wing's rooms had turned up only Hisako Ichiki and Sam Guthrie. Gina, Daniel and Sam's younger sister, Paige, were missing.

"Where could they be?" asked Bobby, of no one in particular. He still looked nervous, but his training was starting to kick in and he was beginning to relax into his role. "I saw both of them at dinner. Could they have gone out?"

"Paige didn't have any plans," put in Sam, his voice betraying his concern for his sister. "She would have told me. Besides, curfew for trainees is ten o' clock."

"Maybe they got up for a midnight snack and they're chatting downstairs?" Kristi tried to sound more hopeful than she actually felt. There was something strange going on and it was making her feel uneasy. She hoped she wasn't transmitting to Logan – he needed to stay focused if he was to keep them all safe. "Look, let's get to the War Room, like Scott ordered. We can check the rooms downstairs on the way. Bobby, ice up, and Hisako, you'd better armour yourself. Just in case," she added, as Sam glanced her way, warily.

There was a dry crackling sound as Bobby formed ice all over his body. Sam stepped aside to give Hisako room to activate her personal armour and the hallway was suddenly bathed in a soft golden glow as Kristi took her own advice and embraced her power. Jubilee held a couple of fireworks ready to throw as they made their way to the stairs.

A quick search of the ground floor rooms turned up no sign of their missing comrades. Sam was almost beside himself with worry for his sister as they waited for the elevator to take them down to the lower levels. Kristi took advantage of the brief pause to check on Wolverine – he was prowling around the boathouse, his claws held at the ready. Kristi unconsciously let her hands raise to mirror her mate's stance.

They were just about to step into the elevator when a shout attracted their attention. They turned to see young Rahne Sinclair hurrying down the hallway towards them, clad in her training uniform.

"Hey, wait up!" she called, as she drew nearer. "What's goin' on?"

"We're under attack," volunteered Sam, before Kristi could speak. "Have you seen Paige?"

"No, I have no'," replied the young Scot, as she joined the group. "I was supposed ta meet Kitty after she had gone ta raise Psyche an' Firefly, but I have no' seen hide nor hair o' any o' them since."

"Oh, Lord!" Jubilee scrubbed a hand across her face. "What the hell's going on here? Has the mansion become a Bermuda Triangle all of a sudden?"

"We'd better get to the lower levels." Kristi stepped decisively into the elevator. "Maybe Scott will have some answers."

She was actually surprised when they all followed her and clustered around as the door closed – she had expected some protestation at least, especially from Sam. She would have been shocked to know that the trainees were conditioned to follow without question the orders of the highest ranking X-Man present in the absence of Cyclops. Right now, in their eyes, she was in charge. Jubilee, being longer serving but younger, didn't count, but even she deferred to Kristi as a matter of course.

The lower levels were silent as they stepped out of the elevator, dimly lit by the night-time lighting, but they hadn't gone more than a few steps when a strident alarm rang out. Kristi looked to Jubilee, as the others milled about, nervously. "What the hell's that?"

"It's the perimeter alarm!" Someone's broken through!" She set off at a run towards the War Room. "Come on!"

Kristi and the others fell into step behind her, adrenalin racing. She felt a surge of emotion from Logan – anticipation, determination, anger and, strangely, excitement – and saw him set off through the trees at a run. He glanced up and Kristi saw a brief glimpse of Storm sweeping across the sky before he plunged on. The image was so clear she put a hand up to move a tree branch before she realised it was in Logan's path, not hers. Had he sensed something? Or was he just reacting to the stimuli coming from her?

They burst through the War Room door at a dead run, startling Cyclops and Rogue, who were studying a bank of monitors on the far wall. As they skidded to a halt beside their team leader, he cancelled the perimeter alarm, plunging the War Room into blessed silence.

Cyclops turned to study Kristi and her little group, his mouth set in a determined line. She could imagine his eyes flicking from one to the other behind his visor, doing the math and coming up lacking.

"The others, Wildstar?" he finally demanded. His use of her codename meant they were now in a combat situation and she didn't miss a beat in answering.

"This is it, Cyclops. Mirage, Blizzard and Husk were missing from their rooms. Likewise Firefly, Psyche and Blaze. Wolfsbane says Shadowcat and Gambit never showed at their intended rendezvous."

She heard Rogue, standing nearby, gasp. "Remy?" Her voice was edged with concern for her lover. Kristi knew, if the positions had been reversed, that she would have stormed out in search of Wolverine, but Rogue never moved a muscle, although her eyes flicked unerringly to the monitors, as if searching for her man there. She knew her place and, right now, that place was with her team, not putting herself in danger. Kristi's heart went out to her Southern team-mate, wishing there was some way to ease her pain.

Towards the back of the group, Hisako – Armor – raised a tentative hand. "Um …… Mr ……er …… Cyclops? Where are the others? Wolverine and Phoenix, I mean. Are they safe?"

Kristi knew where Wolverine and Storm were, but couldn't say anything or risk blowing her cover. But she suddenly realised she had not seen Beast lately. Or Phoenix or the Professor. Were they out in the field too? She looked to Cyclops, as suddenly interested in the answer as the young trainee.

Cyclops turned to scan the monitors, running a hand distractedly through his dark hair. "Wolverine, Beast and Storm are patrolling the perimeter," he replied, hesitantly. "Phoenix, Psylocke and the Professor are …… missing."

He grimaced as he spoke, the admission being hard to make. There was a collective gasp from the trainees and Kristi and Jubilee exchanged glances. If the perimeter had only just been breached, how come they had so many people missing?

Cyclops suddenly tipped his head, listening to a message coming to him via the earpiece built into his visor. The others waited impatiently as he nodded in response to the brief communication. "Roger that, Storm. Keep an eye on him and don't let him kill anyone. I want answers, not a body count."

"What's going on?" asked Iceman.

Cyclops considered briefly, before answering. "Wolverine's picked up a scent and has gone to investigate." He sighed and turned back to the bank of monitors. "If he obeys orders for once we may find out what's going on here before we lose any more people."

Kristi looked inward, hoping Cyclops wouldn't notice her glassy expression. Wolverine was moving slowly now, as if stalking, and clearly having the time of his life now that he had someone, or something, to hunt.

"Mr …… ah …… Cyclops, what about my sister and the others?" Cannonball interrupted her musings with his heartfelt question. "Shouldn't we be looking for them?"

"We will, Sam, but I have no intention of sending anyone else out there until the perimeter is secured. Once I know there's no further danger we'll go search for Paige and the others, I promise."

Cannonball nodded dejectedly, but Jubilee's face turned dark. "Hey, wait a minute, boss man, something's not right here ……"

"EeeeK!!"

Wolfsbane's scream made everyone jump and they jerked around to see a dark figure toppling face first through the now open War Room door. Gambit hit the floor hard and didn't move.

"Remy!" Rogue half ran half flew to her lover's side, rolling him over and cradling his head gently in her lap. "Oh, god, Remy, what happened ta ya?"

He coughed then, spitting up blood as his hand came up to grasp feebly at Rogue's arm and Kristi gasped as she got a clear view of her team-mate. His mouth was bleeding and he had a deep cut over his left eye which looked badly in need of stitches. The right sleeve of his trademark trenchcoat was scorched as though burned by fire and, when he coughed again, he clutched at his side, betraying the presence of broken ribs, despite his body armour.

"Chere ……" he whispered, painfully.

Rogue stroked his hair tenderly with a gloved hand. "Hush, Remy. Stay still. Ah'll get ya ta the med-lab ……"

"No, chere, you don' understand ……" He tilted his head to find Cyclops, his red eyes narrowed in pain. "De intruders…… dey ……"

Once again, everyone jumped as another alarm, different from the first, rang out loudly.

Rogue looked up as Cyclops punched a button to cancel it. "That's the interior alarm! The mansion's been breached!"

Gambit grasped her hand, willing her to look at him. "No …… already breached …." he gasped out.

"Oh my god!" Cyclops' face blanched as the full import of Gambit's words crashed down on him. "The perimeter alarm …… it was a ruse. They've been splitting us up and taking us out one by one right from the start and I was a fool – I missed it! They didn't need to breach the mansion …… because they're already here ……!"

**NEXT: **Will the remaining X-Men prevail against the intruders? Don't bet on it!


	14. Blinding Light and Ice Floes

Hey, everyone, 'tis me again! Sorry for the later than normal update, but we are _extremely_ short staffed at work. Hence, I am doing a lot more hours and it's getting difficult to find time to write. But fear not, I will always update, even if it takes me a bit longer than usual!

**Logan's Wolverettes:** Many thanks to **12kirby12, nileena, Laudine, FrozenVoices, sagas, pen, **and **Wolfbane17! **Your input and interest is much appreciated!

And now I know that many of you have been waiting with bated breath for this chapter, so that's all from me ....... Onward!!

**xxOxx**

**14****. Blinding Light and Ice Floes**

Blizzard checked his watch for what felt like the umpteenth time in the last half hour and then stared out over the lake, barely visible in the darkness. The night was still and quiet and the water was calm, lapping lazily against the shoreline and the supports of the boathouse dock. The boathouse itself was a dark outline against the trees, showing no light or any movement within to betray the precious payload it hid behind its walls.

Only 3.20am. Barely two hours into the mission and they already had several members of Xavier's band of troublemakers safely hidden away in the boathouse, including the Professor himself and his two pet telepaths. They didn't need guarding – under the combined influence of both Vixen's and Psyche's mutant abilities they had no will for escape, even if the boathouse burned to the ground around them. This left Blizzard and his little band of infiltrators free to go about their business.

However, with just over one hour to go before the mission's deadline, they had hit a snag. Or, to be more precise, several snags that added up into one big one. With phase one of the plan completed, phase two would have involved hitting the mansion itself. But before that could happen, Cyclops had put the team on alert and sent three X-Men to patrol the ground's perimeter. How the hell had he known they were coming? With everything planned down to the smallest detail, the X-Men should have been blissfully unaware of the danger until it was too late. Setting off the perimeter alarms should have sent the X-Men scurrying to protect their borders, leaving the students behind with minimal protection and therefore easy pickings for the assault team. But with Cyclops seemingly aware of the coming attack, Psyche had had no choice but to exercise damage limitation – using her powers to influence the minds of certain X-Men in an effort to regain the upper hand.

They set off the perimeter alarms anyway and, a while later, the interior ones. Any confusion they could spread now would only act in their favour. But it was here that things started to go really bad. Returning from her mission to trigger the perimeter alarms, Vixen had accidentally crossed Wolverine's path. She had immediately masked her scent, cursing her oversight in doing so earlier, but it had taken her precious time to throw him off her trail – time they could ill afford to lose. Having picked up her scent once, Blizzard knew the feral would stop at nothing to find it again. Of course, Vixen knew she could have taken out Wolverine alone, but Blizzard had forbidden her to do so – the feral was his, and his alone. Psyche had promised him his time with Wolverine and he wasn't about to lose it to another member of the team hoping to score popularity points with the boss. Of course, if Wolverine took a team member down before Blizzard had chance to get to him there would be hell to pay, which is why he had to keep everyone else out of Wolverine's way and hope he got his chance for payback before the boss arrived.

Blizzard sighed and scuffed the toe of his boot into the soft grass. All this waiting around was getting him antsy but, with the X-Men now on alert, they were having to take the mansion slowly and stealthily or risk being discovered. As bad as it had been for the back-up team, the assault team had had it infinitely worse. Several students and a handful of X-Men had evaded their trap and made it to the lower levels, where they had taken up refuge in the War Room. A fight had broken out in the upper levels of the west wing and there had been at least one death reported, although Firefly was reluctant to talk about this so the takedown had yet to be confirmed. Consequently, she had been pulled from the assault team to be watched over and questioned by Psyche. Deaths were inexcusable and the boss was bound to be vexed if he found out it could have been avoided.

Blizzard jumped as a figure appeared out of the darkness, only to relax as he recognised Psyche. The empath looked tired but quietly determined.

"How's it going?" he asked, as she drew near.

Psyche gave an unladylike snort. "They're still down there," she declared, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I thought setting off the interior alarms would force them out to investigate, but it looks as though Cyclops isn't taking any chances." She crossed her arms and rocked back onto one foot, glaring at Blizzard as if he was the cause of the problems. "Damn the man! He's put me to a lot of trouble tonight. God knows how he knew we were going to hit them tonight. I put the telepaths under hours ago – they shouldn't have known a thing until it was too late."

"Well, we can't hit them in the lower corridors, that's for sure." Blizzard stared out over the lake, moodily. "It'll be a slaughter."

"We won't have to hit them down there at all. I've got a plan for getting them to come to us."

Blizzard turned to his team-mate, seeing the familiar fanatical gleam in her eyes, despite the darkness. "So what do you intend to do? Influence them all, like you did with Xavier?"

Psyche shook her head. "No, I can't hold them all effectively. There's too many ……"

"What then?"

"Give me chance, Blizzard! I was coming to tell you that Vixen and Hammer have succeeded in bringing down one of Cyclops' perimeter guards. No, it isn't Wolverine," she added quickly, seeing Blizzard's sharp look. The young mutant huffed and let her continue. "I plan to use this one to deliver some very interesting news to Cyclops. News he'll be bound to act upon."

Blizzard grinned and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. The air around them crackled and turned cold.

"As an added incentive, I'm also sending Blaze and Hammer back into the house to put on a little …… show. This, and the message I have planned, should be enough to force the X-Men out of hiding."

"About bloody time." Blizzard turned and made to walk away, but Psyche stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Wait. So you don't want your chance at Wolverine then?"

Blizzard froze, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Well, I'm assuming that, since you're in such a rush to head off, you've changed your mind about taking on the feral?" Psyche's eyes were glittering with humour as she knowingly teased her young team-mate.

Blizzard angrily knocked her hand away. "Look, if you've got something to say, Psyche, then spit it out. I'm not in the mood for games."

"Oh, I think you'll be in the mood for this one." Psyche almost purred as she cupped a hand to the young mutant's cheek. "You, my headstrong little friend, are about to get your fondest wish. While Blaze and Hammer are acting their little hearts out inside, I want you to take Vixen and Firefly and take down Cyclops' perimeter guards. There are only two of them now and they should be no match for you. Think you can handle them?"

"We can handle them." Blizzard ducked out of reach of Psyche's hand and glared at her for daring to touch him. Ice crackled around his hands as he balled them into fists. "_I_ can handle them alone, if need be."

"Just be careful," Psyche admonished him. "You've trained with them. You know how dangerous they can be when pushed."

"I can be dangerous too," Blizzard growled, baring his teeth in a grim smile.

"I know." Psyche shook her head at the impetuousness of her young team-mate. "Vixen and Firefly are waiting for you in the Japanese Garden. Don't let me down."

Blizzard took the admonition personally. "I won't," he spat out, then turned and walked sharply away.

Psyche watched him go with an amused tilt of the head. Deliberately winding Blizzard up wasn't the wisest idea in the world, but she needed him stoked up if the next stage of her improvised plan was to succeed. Because, unless she had completely missed her guess, taking out the X-Men's resident berserker would also seriously impair the judgement of another of the team's number ……

**oooOOOooo**

"That's great news, Storm. I copy that. Stay put and we'll rendezvous at your location in thirty."

Cyclops broke contact with the weather witch and looked around to see everyone watching him closely.

"What was that about?" asked Iceman. He had de-iced and was sitting on the War Room table, idly swinging his legs.

Cyclops couldn't help smiling at the news he was about to deliver. "Storm and Beast have managed to capture two of our intruders. Wolverine is currently tracking two more and it's only a matter of time before he brings them down."

Kristi, leaning against the wall, arms folded in a stance so usually adopted by her mate that it seemed eerily uncanny, checked in with the X-Man in question at that point. He was, indeed, stalking something – or rather, someone – creeping through the tree cover stealthily, his mind alert and focused, his attention never wavering from the task at hand. Satisfied, Kristi tuned back into the conversation.

"Storm reports that our missing people are being held at a location roughly five miles away. They are heavily guarded and she has requested back-up to aid in rescuing them."

"So, we're going after them, right?" asked Cannonball, anxiously, thinking immediately of his sister.

"Yes, 'we' are, Cannonball, but 'you' are not," confirmed Cyclops, decisively.

"But ……"

"No 'buts', Sam. You're only a trainee and, as such. I have no intention of putting your safety at risk. You're going to stay here until we've rounded up our intruders and found all our people."

"Surely that order doesn't include all the trainees?" Iceman hopped down from the table, looking Cyclops directly in the visor. "Some of us are further on in our training than others – and by that, I mean 'me', here – I'm not afraid to help."

"It's not a question of being afraid, Bobby, it's a matter of safety." Cyclops fixed each of the trainees in turn with a steady ruby-enhanced gaze. "I'm not going to risk you by sending you out into the field, not when we don't know what we're facing. These intruders managed to take out three of the most powerful telepaths on the planet. Shadowcat's missing and Gambit's probably going to be off the roster for weeks." All eyes flicked to the injured Cajun, who was sitting in a chair by the War table, half supported by Rogue, his teeth clenched against the pain from his broken ribs. "Do you want to end up like that?"

Iceman considered this for a moment and then turned back to his leader, drawing himself up, proudly. "That's an unfair argument and you know it, Cyclops. Any of us here would willingly risk our lives for the sake of the team." He nodded, slowly. "But I respect your decision, and stand by it. Wolfsbane and Armor are still too young to go into battle. We'll stay here and Sam and I will protect them."

Cyclops strode across the floor to place a fatherly hand on the young mutant's shoulder. "Thanks, Bobby. Those were wise words and I'm proud of you."

Iceman grinned, ruefully. "Just remember that the next time the Professor's looking for recruits to the elite team. We may have two ice men, but I'm still the original and the best."

Cyclops nodded, sharply. "I'll put in a good word for you," he promised, then turned to gather in his group with an expansive gesture. Kristi rocked away from the wall, unfolding her arms, instantly alert. "Okay, people, let's get moving! We've got team-mates to rescue and time's wasting. Rogue, take Gambit to med-lab and then return here. We'll send Beast to treat his wounds as soon as we rendezvous with the others ……"

Hisako suddenly flung out a hand, pointing to one of the monitors. "Cyclops, look!"

All eyes followed her outstretched hand to the monitor, which clearly showed young Rachael Weston slowly backing down the hallway leading to Storm's attic room, fists raised and hands ablaze with burning plasma. Her eyes were wide and frightened and she was clearly defending herself from attack as she tossed a superheated fireball at something just off camera. As she backed off once more, a huge figure ranged into view, its back to the surveillance camera. Tall and powerfully built, it almost blocked the entire width of the hallway, momentarily shielding Blaze from view as it continued its relentless pursuit of the young pyroblaster. Then it raised a massive fist and Wolfsbane gasped as it swung at Blaze viciously. With an obvious scream that could not be heard over the monitor, Blaze ducked and plastered herself against the opposite wall, as the creature's fist missed its target by mere inches and buried itself in the ornate wood panelling.

"Oh my god, that's Blaze! She's under attack!" gasped Jubilee, needlessly. "One of the interior alarms was triggered in Storm's loft. Blaze must have been hiding up there!"

"Okay, people, revised plan!" Cyclops tore his eyes away from the monitor to address his team. "We've no option now, but to split up. Rogue, you're with me. We're going to go out through the emergency access in the hanger. Jubilee, Wildstar, I want you to help Blaze."

"Sure thing, boss." Jubilee acknowledged Cyclops' order with a sharp nod and then tagged Wildstar's arm. "Come on, Kristi, let's go!"

The two girls left the War Room at a run, heading for the elevator. The doors were still open on their level and they stepped quickly inside, Jubilee pressing the button to go up. As the doors closed and the elevator began to rise, Kristi took a deep breath, realising her heart was beating wildly. Grimly, she embraced her power and curled her hands into fists at her sides, bathing the elevator in her soft golden glow. Jubilee, already holding several fireworks at the ready, glanced at her sideways and grinned eagerly.

"Time for payback," she declared, darkly.

As the elevator doors opened with a soft hiss on the ground floor of the mansion proper, Jubilee stepped out first, peering cautiously down the darkened hallway. As she was about to follow, a blinding white light suddenly flared in Kristi's inner vision and she threw her hands up to protect her eyes, belatedly realising that the light was coming from Logan's point of view, not her own. Something cold and unyielding slammed into 'her' stomach and she cried out in alarm as 'she' was flung back into a tree, feeling the trunk crack behind 'her'. Sparks swam before 'her' eyes as she struggled to 'her' feet, using the tree for support. The bright light flared again, blinding 'her' and Kristi flung out her hands, grasping hold of Jubilee's arm and holding on for dear life as the hallway tilted crazily around her. Dimly, she could hear Jubilee calling her name, demanding to know what was wrong, but Kristi couldn't answer, as one word screamed furiously in her mind over and over again. _Logan!_

Then something cracked painfully into the side of 'her' head and the link was abruptly broken. Disoriented, Kristi fell to the floor, almost dragging Jubilee with her.

"Ohmygod, Kristi, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Jubilee bent anxiously over her friend, patting her cheeks as she lay groaning on the floor. Kristi's eyes fluttered as she tried to focus on the face hovering above her, and she rolled onto her side, promptly heaving up the contents of her last meal. Jubilee jumped back with a startled oath, to avoid getting the mess on her boots.

"Geez, Kristi, what the hell …… ?"

Kristi wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, struggling gamely to her feet, feeling light-headed and sick to her stomach. Jubilee held onto her arm as she swayed slightly. "My link …… with Logan …… was broken too quickly," she explained haltingly, between breaths. "He's being attacked, Jubilee …… Pain …… I've got to go to him."

She tried to pull away, but Jubilee kept a tight hold of her arm. "Kristi, you can't. We have to help Blaze."

Kristi's eyes narrowed, her lips pulling back into a feral snarl. "Don't ever dare to tell me what to do, Jubilation," she growled, her voice low and laced with menace. She pulled her arm out of her friend's grasp. "You help Blaze if you want. My place is with Wolverine."

Before Jubilee could stop her, she turned and began to run down the hallway, hearing her friend calling out for her to stop, but being too far gone in her concern for her mate to care. Quickly reaching the front entrance, she raised her fists and blasted the double doors off their hinges and out into the night. Without breaking stride, she hurtled through the ruined doorway and took off at the run, sweeping up into the night sky and banking sharply as her bond led her to the source of her mate's pain.

She could sense he was still conscious, if barely so, bravely battling on as blow after blow pummelled his aching body. Up ahead, a bright flash lit up the sky as his foe blinded him again and Kristi altered direction slightly, fisting her hands so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. Whoever was attacking her mate, they were going to pay dearly for their audacity.

Something heavy suddenly crashed into her from below and she whuffed air, momentarily winded and losing concentration. She fell quickly, crying out in panic before her training kicked in, forcing her to focus and reach for her power once more. Arresting her fall, she levelled out just above the tree-tops, casting about her anxiously for the source of the attack. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed something silvery and shiny flying towards her from the ground, just seconds before a brilliant flash of light robbed her of her night sight. Twisting blindly, she banked to avoid the thing rushing towards her, not knowing which way was up or down and fearing she would crash into the trees. Just when she thought she was safe, something hit her hard in the side and she spun in the air, crashing into the branches of a tree and completely losing her equilibrium.

She dropped from the sky like a stone, landing heavily on the arm she had injured in the obsidian robot Danger Room session days before, tearing an involuntary cry of pain from her lips. Somewhere close by she heard a howl of anguish, recognising the sound of her mate gone feral and she cried out his name in frustration, struggling to rise as bright lights popped before her face. She heard, rather than saw, someone approaching and she cast a starbolt in that general direction, hearing it crashing into the trees and praying it had taken out their attacker also, a hope which rapidly dissipated like mist as something cold and hard slammed into the side of her head, making her vision blur and knocking her to the ground. The howl came again, Wolverine having witnessed the attack, and she growled low as her mate's personality began to dominate her own. Her hands itching to unsheathe claws that she didn't have, she rolled to her back, tucked her legs up and flipped to her feet, surging forward to crash into her attacker with enough force to knock them both to the ground, grappling briefly in a tangle of arms and legs.

Tapping into her mate's feral instincts and abilities, Kristi drove a knee into her attacker's solar plexus and scrambled to her feet as he coughed and wheezed for breath. Stumbling slightly on the uneven ground, she cast about anxiously for Logan, finally spotting him several yards away, iced – _iced? – _to a tree, his face bloody from the rough treatment he had already received. She started forward, almost delirious with the force of the rage and pain coming from her mate, one thought uppermost in her mind – to free him and take revenge on their attackers. She raised a glowing fist to unleash a starbolt and smash the ice holding her mate captive.

Her shot went wild as a fist sized chunk of ice hit her in the back of the head, making her cry out in pain and shock, and driving her to her knees. Wolverine howled in frustration, straining against the ice that bound him, as Kristi put a tentative hand to her head, gasping as it came away red with blood. She swayed on her knees, feeling dizzy and nauseous, fighting the urge to throw up again as her attacker stalked steadily nearer.

She made a valiant effort to rise, but red hot pain lanced across the back of her head and she crumpled to the ground, groaning weakly as her attacker stood over her triumphantly, mocking her with his smile.

With consciousness beginning to slip away, she looked up into his eyes, feeling her heart jolt painfully as she recognised the man who had so callously attacked her. A smaller, feminine figure stepped out of the trees to stand beside him and she struggled to breathe as the awful truth finally came crashing down.

This was no attack by unknown intruders. The X-Men had been divided and conquered by those they had taken in and sheltered – to whom they had shown nothing but friendship and acceptance.

Too late she realised that they had been played for fools right from the start.

"Why ….. ?" she whispered, as darkness began to creep like a shadow over her, and Kristi passed out to the chilling sound of maniacal laughter ……

**NEXT: **Logan and Kristi take their twins for a spot of impromptu training. Wait a minute …… twins?! What twins?!!


	15. Twin Dilemma

Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter, slightly sooner than I expected! There wasn't much tweaking to do with this one, so managed to get it uploaded fairly quickly!

**Logan's Wolverettes: **Many thanks to **FrozenVoices, nileena, Laudine **and **Wolfbane17!** Whatever would I do without you?! And hello to guest reviewer **gambitstalker! **It would be great to see you join the ranks of the Wolverettes!

Incidentally, Wolfbane17, sometimes in your reviews you make a comment that I would love to reply to, but you seem to have your messaging facility turned off! So yes, there is plenty more Wolvie angst to come, and maybe a bit of torture - possibly some seduction too!

I hope this chapter helps to explain what Blizzard's team have in store for the X-Men, but I think it will just confuse you more! Extra kudos to anyone who manages to figure it out!!

**ooXoo**

**Twin Dilemma**

***Stand by to initiate programme …… ***

***Standing by …… ***

***Initiate programme …… now!***

When Kristi awoke the next morning, she knew instantly that her husband had already risen. The comforting weight on his side of the bed had gone and he had pulled back the curtains so that the light of the sun shone across her face as it climbed above the trees. She groaned at this and rolled over, burying her head under the comforter, hoping for a few extra minutes worth of sleep. It wasn't like her to indulge in a lie-in, but she'd had a particularly stressful evening, helping Jubilee to revise for an exam she had later on in the day. They had studied well into the early hours before finally admitting that the words on the computer screen were all beginning to blur into one and retiring to their respective beds. She hoped her efforts were appreciated and that Jubilee passed her exam. She wasn't sure if the Professor would approve of her being helped, but Kristi knew from experience that the ignition sequence of the Blackbird was particularly tricky. Jubilee wasn't stupid – far from it – but Scott's teaching methods sometimes blinded a person with science and Kristi knew that Jubilee personally benefited from a calmer, and more patient, hand. Besides, they needed all the pilots they could get. Although how the Professor could trust Jubilee with the controls of the Blackbird, when Logan still wouldn't trust her with his jeep was a scenario that Kristi found most mystifying.

Kristi sighed, realising she was too awake to sleep now, and pushed back the covers, stretching luxuriously to iron out the kinks in her muscles. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she padded softly into the bathroom and showered, spending some time in shampooing her hair and easing out the night tangles. Afterwards, she dressed in a pair of blue shorts and T-shirt, pulled on her favourite sneakers over bare feet and went in search of her husband.

The mansion was silent around her as she made her way to the ground floor. It wasn't even 6.00am yet – most of the students wouldn't make an appearance until 7.30 or so. Even the teaching staff wouldn't have begun to stir yet, with the possible exception of Ororo, who always arose with the sun to enjoy an early morning solo flight and a rainwater shower. As a rule, Kristi liked to rise somewhere around 7.00am and have a relaxed breakfast, before taking her first class of the morning with the flyers. Unless, that is, her husband decided to leave her an early morning call and open the curtains …….

Knowing instinctively that she wouldn't find him inside, Kristi headed for the front entrance, letting herself out quietly and standing a moment on the front porch, shielding her eyes with a hand as she gazed out over the grounds. A gentle breeze played across her face, bringing with it the subtle tang of an early morning cleansing rain shower and the heady scent of jasmine. It was going to be a beautiful day.

She embraced her power and lifted off into the clear blue sky, quickly gaining altitude and angling her flight to take her towards the lake. Exulting in the sheer thrill of using her powers, she indulged in several barrel rolls, laughing as she looped the loop and enjoying the feel of the wind in her hair. She didn't care if anyone saw her or not – life was good and she intended to live it to the full.

Nearing the lake, she could see several figures moving about in the clearing around the boathouse and she realised her hunch about her husband's whereabouts had been correct. Angling her flight slightly, she began to descend, hoping to swoop down and surprise everyone but, no sooner had the idea occurred to her, when someone below spotted her and waved. Kristi tutted in mock annoyance, her plan foiled. Seconds later, another figure lifted off from the ground, flying up to meet her. Kristi immediately adjusted her altitude, instinctively knowing she was currently flying too high for the young trainee X-Man to safely match. With his powers only having recently manifested, she had no wish to tax his energy or his ability, so she dropped sharply to a position just above the tree tops and waited for the young flyer to catch up with her.

The young boy's face was flushed with pride as he approached, but Kristi couldn't help berating him for his rash action. "Talyn, I seriously hope you weren't intending flying all the way up to meet me. You know your powers can't cope with that kind of altitude yet."

The boy's face lost none of its glow at Kristi's words. "Aw, come on, mom, you know my powers are getting stronger every day. Besides," he added, with a grin, "I knew you'd meet me half way!"

Kristi couldn't help laughing at her son's reasoning. "Am I that transparent?" she asked, as they both headed for the ground together.

Talyn managed a mid-air shrug. "You're an X-Man," he declared, simply. "I know you wouldn't put another X-Man in danger. Especially a trainee."

Kristi couldn't fault her young son's reasoning and was proud of his intention to train hard and become a fully fledged X-Man. Even before his powers had begun to manifest, since the day he'd first been able to understand who they were and what they stood for, he'd dreamed of becoming a member of the team and Kristi was pleased his dream was on its way to being realised. If he hadn't inherited the X-Gene from either of his parents, the boy would have been devastated.

Talyn's twin sister, Chiana, was watching their approach intently from the ground, one hand shielding her eyes from the sun. As they landed, Kristi saw her daughter's face break into a wide grin as the girl waved, enthusiastically.

"I saw you first, mom! Dad wasn't even looking in the right direction!"

Kristi smiled, ruefully. "I should have known I couldn't sneak up on you, sweetheart. Your eyesight's too sharp."

Chiana grinned, proudly, and Kristi put her arm around her daughter's shoulder and drew her in for a hug. Talyn pulled a face and ducked away before Kristi could grab him too. At fourteen years of age, he reckoned he was far too old for such a show of affection and Kristi let him get away with it this time. But she knew that when no one was looking, he was just as eager for his mother's hug as was Chiana.

Logan ambled over to join the family reunion, a large Husky dog following at his heels. Chiana immediately dropped to her knees to fuss her pet as Kristi turned to kiss her husband's cheek in greeting.

"Hi, lover. I missed you this morning."

Logan's eyes gleamed, mischieviously. "You'll have ta show me how much ya missed me later then." He edged forward to nip at her ear and Kristi swatted his arm, playfully.

"Logan! Not in front of the kids, for heaven's sake!" She blushed prettily and Talyn regarded her keenly with a maturity that was starkly at odds with his tender years.

"S'okay, mom. If you wanna fool around with dad, we don't mind taking a break."

Kristi shook her finger at her son. "Talyn Logan, I swear you get more like your father every day! You should take a moment to think about what you've just said, young man!"

"C'mon, Kris, it's not as though they've never seen us kiss before." Logan pulled at her arm and began to lead her away from the twins, towards a particularly large tree that provided ample shade and a perfect grassy sitting area beneath it. It was beneath this tree that Logan had proposed to her and Kristi remembered every detail of that perfect evening as though it had happened only yesterday. She would never forget it, because it was the day her dreams had come true.

The tree, therefore, held a special place in her heart.

"So, how are they doing?" asked Kristi, as they settled beneath the leafy boughs. She focused her gaze on the twins, who were now rolling about on the ground with the Husky. She tutted softly to herself. It was sometimes hard to believe that these were the X-men of the future ……

Logan paused to light a cigar before answering, puffing out large clouds of blue smoke, which Kristi waved away with one hand.

"They're doin' as well as can be expected, all things considered," he replied, finally. "I've got 'em practisin' hand ta hand this mornin', but Talyn wants ta work on fine tunin' his mutant abilities. I've said no – I'll only let 'em do that when we're in the Danger Room, so that the med-lab's close at hand if somethin' goes wrong, but he's getting' frustrated."

Kristi frowned. "I wish he wouldn't fret so, Logan. It sometimes takes time to master an ability before it can be used safely. It doesn't happen overnight."

"Yeah, well, that's what I've told him, but you know Talyn. He's impatient and impulsive. Just like his mother."

Kristi snorted. "Excuse me? This from Mr-Eviscerate-And-Ask-Questions-Later?"

Logan grinned around his cigar, blowing out a large cloud of smoke. "Yer beautiful when yer angry," he informed her. Then: "Wanna fool around?"

Kristi rolled her eyes at her husband. "You're incorrigible, did you know that?"

Logan merely shrugged, adjusting his ever present Stetson in order to give her a crafty wink.

Kristi laughed and gave him a push. "You're supposed to be training the kids, remember? Keep your mind on your work!"

"All work an' no play ……" Logan gave her a look that clearly suggested 'later'.

Pushing his Stetson to a business-like angle, he knocked out his cigar against the bark of the tree, then got to his feet and stalked towards the twins, clapping his hands to gain their attention. "Alright, break time over. Back to work. Let's try that last move again. Talyn, yer defence was wide open – a truck coulda got through, let alone yer sister. Ya've gotta learn ta close it up."

Kristi laughed as her children groaned in unison, protesting the continuance of training. But Logan was not to be put off and an intense scowl silenced their protests. They knew better than to argue with their father. Within moments, he had them at work once more, running through hand to hand battle tactics and watching their every move with an eagle eye. Kristi smiled as she watched them work together. Who would have thought that the bad-ass Wolverine would have turned out to be such a loving and devoted father?

It was this devotion which had prompted him to take his children's training into his own hands. They were being coached by the Professor in the Danger Room, of course, along with the other trainees, but Logan had wanted only the best for his twins, hence their impromptu training sessions in the mansion's grounds. The informal setting, he insisted, meant that the children were more likely to relax and learn. He and Nightcrawler had benefited from a similar scheme during their early days with the team.

Kristi was intensely proud of her family and this reflected in her eyes as she watched her husband put the youngsters through their paces. The children, despite being twins, couldn't have been more different. Chiana was dark and intense like her father and sported the same swept back hairstyle, which grew in gentle waves almost to her waist. She was also feral, and her mutant ability had taken Logan's animalistic nature one step further, manifesting itself in an ability to communicate empathically with animal kind. Her natural senses had been enhanced to a level which matched Wolverine's own and her acrobatic skills were uncanny. Although still in infancy, Kristi suspected that Chiana's powers would one day make her one of the more powerful members of the team.

Talyn, on the other hand, was fair-haired and brown-eyed, like his mother, although he had also inherited his father's tendency to brood on occasion. His power had manifested in an ability to harness and control electricity, which is how he was able to fly – by navigating the natural electrical impulses in the air. But his control was sketchy at best and this made him frustrated. Not content with working to build up his confidence and control slowly, he wanted it all now – wanted to be able to run before he could walk. He was too impulsive, a perfectionist. Logan had told him countless times that he would gain more power and control as he grew older, but Talyn still tried too hard, tried to control forces that, as yet, were too powerful for him. Kristi wished he would learn to be more patient, but that was Talyn – always impetuous.

Chiana suddenly doubled over, putting her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. "Dad, enough! I'm whacked!"

Logan turned to his daughter, hands on hips. "Not yet, Chi. Try that last move again."

"Aw, dad ……"

Talyn used the distraction as an opportunity to sink down to the grass, where he sprawled on his back. "I'm hungry," he complained.

Kristi glanced at her watch. "Logan, how long have you been training out here?"

"Coupla hours. Why?"

"Did you think to eat first?"

Chiana shook her head, recovering her breath. "There wasn't time. Dad dragged us out here at the crack of dawn."

"Why does he always have to get us up at stupid o' clock anyway?" asked Talyn, from his prone position on the ground. "Why can't we train at a decent hour? Like normal trainees? God, I'm hungry!"

Logan shrugged as Kristi looked at him. "Trainin' comes first," he objected, huffily.

Kristi rose gracefully to her feet, brushing grass off her legs and shorts as she walked to join her family. "You're gonna train these kids into the ground, Wolvie!" she grinned, taking her husband's arm. "Between you and the Professor, they must be the most disciplined trainees we've ever had."

"Is training over now?" asked Talyn, raising his head, hopefully.

Kristi nodded. "Yes, sweetie, it is. Let's see about getting some bacon and eggs into that empty stomach of yours."

"Yay! Someone help me up. I'm dead, here."

Logan hauled his son to his feet and brushed him down. "Just be glad I'm in a good mood or I might have scheduled another trainin' session for this afternoon," he grumped.

Kristi pulled at her husband's arm, urging him to walk beside her. "Quit teasing the kids, Logan, you'll only get them tetchy."

Logan shrugged and allowed himself to be led back to the mansion, slipping an arm around his wife's waist as they walked. The twins fell into step behind them, still practising the moves they had just learned, despite professing to be tired just moments earlier. Chiana's Husky, Kimarhi, roved about the group, occasionally racing ahead to investigate their path, but always returning to his mistress's side. The connection between the two would seem strange to an outsider, sharing, as they did, a form of empathy, but Kristi had grown accustomed to the way her daughter's eyes would suddenly take on a strange look of vacancy as she 'talked' to her pet. It wasn't unlike the way Jean's eyes would take on a glassy appearance while in rapport with another member of the team. For her part, Chiana found communicating with Kimarhi as normal as talking to another human, declaring her pet to be highly intelligent and easily able to distinguish individuals when prompted with a name. Chiana had also tested her ability on the pets and wild creatures in and around the mansion. The resident horses she described as intelligent but snobby, while birds were concerned with the here and now, with no thought for the future. The local squirrels she considered just plain silly!

Upon entering the mansion and making their way to the kitchen, they discovered Ororo and Betsy, both nursing mugs of coffee. Ororo looked fresh and elegant, as always, but Betsy, it turned out, was entertaining a short fuse and responded huffily to any form of conversation directed her way. Apart from admitting she'd had a bad night, thus leading to a splitting headache, she refused to be drawn into discussion and left for the solitude of her room not long after.

Kristi, already busily frying bacon and eggs in a large pan, watched her leave, with sympathy evident in her eyes. "Poor Betsy. It's not like her to be so down."

"Is there anything you can do for her, Logan?" Ororo turned expectantly to the feral, knowing he had once shared a psychic bond with the telepath.

Logan, leaning against the fridge with a mug of black coffee in his hand, shook his head. "I don't think so, 'Ro. My link ta Betsy dissipated months ago. Best ta just leave her alone an' let her sort it out in her own time."

Ororo nodded, but looked unhappy with the conclusion. "If she's not feeling better by lunch time, I will make some soup and take it up to her room. That should lift her spirits."

"The ol' country remedy, eh, doc?" asked Logan. "Just hope it works, 'Ro. Betsy's a psycho-blaster. If she starts getting' migraines there's no tellin' what she could do ta the rest o' us."

"Maybe it would be best to have Jean or the Professor look in on her as well," offered Kristi, as she began buttering slices of bread. She slapped Logan's hand away with the knife as he tried to snaffle a rasher of hot bacon from the pan, leaving a smear of butter on his knuckles. He licked it off, sulkily, as Ororo nodded in response to his wife's words.

"I will have a word with Jean later," she agreed, just as the kitchen door opened to admit Scott. "Oh, speak of the devil."

"Hey, Mr Summers." Talyn looked up and waved as their team leader headed for the coffee pot. He looked tired and, uncharacteristically, he hadn't yet shaved.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. Morning, Talyn. Everyone." He nodded around the kitchen and reached into the cupboard for a mug.

Ororo was watching the kitchen door, expecting it to open again and admit Scott's wife. "Is Jean not with you, Scott? I would like to have a word with her about Betsy."

"Sorry, 'Ro, Jean's not feeling very well this morning." Scott poured a mug of coffee and added cream and sugar. "She's been complaining of a pounding headache all night." He paused to yawn widely, almost cracking his jaw in the process. "I'm gonna take this up to her and then try and grab forty winks in one of the spare rooms. Sharing a psychic rapport with someone who's projecting her pain at you all night isn't the best cure for insomnia I can mention."

He picked up the mug and shuffled from the kitchen, totally oblivious to the startled glances that followed his departure.

"That's really odd." Chiana spoke the words everyone else was thinking. "Two telepaths suffering from headaches on the same day? I'd say that was too strange to be a coincidence, if I wasn't such a trusting person."

"I'm sure it's just the weather, hon," remarked Kristi, easily, setting plates laden with bacon and eggs in front of her and her brother. "Perhaps there's a storm coming?" She glanced at Ororo, hopefully.

Ororo shook her head. "I sense no such phenomena," she replied, softly. "There must be some other reason for this."

"If y'ask me, the pair of 'em probably found their way inta the Prof's secret stash o' brandy last night, over imbibed an' daren't tell anyone." Logan leaned across the counter to refill his coffee mug. "Girls will be girls."

***Nutrition feed functioning correctly. All systems show green across the board***

Logan sprang into a battle stance, his claws unsheathing with a sharp 'snikt', the coffee mug clattering to the floor and splashing hot liquid across the tiles. His feral growl sounded loud in the shocked silence as he glared around the kitchen, the hackles on the back of his neck rising, his teeth bared.

"No, dad!" Chiana leapt from her chair, almost upending her plate as she rushed to her father's side. "Mom, quick, he's going feral!"

Ororo and Talyn jumped to their feet, backing off slightly as Wolverine snarled in their direction, drawn by the sudden movement. Unnoticed, Kristi moved in, putting a hand on his arm and trusting that her husband would never do anything to hurt her, no matter how out of control he was.

"Logan? Logan, it's okay, stand down. There's nothing here. Nothing to hurt us." She put a hand to his cheek, turning his head and forcing him to look in her eyes, to see the truth of her words. "Sheathe your claws, Logan. There is no threat here."

Gradually, reacting to his wife's gentle words, his body stance began to relax. His growl faded away to a soft rumble and his claws slid slowly back into their housings as he blinked around the kitchen as though coming out of a daze.

"Geez, dad!" Talyn made a show of wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead. "What was that all about? You trying to give us all a heart attack, or something?"

"Didn't you hear it?" Logan glanced at each of the others in turn, confusion evident in his eyes.

"Hear what, love?" asked Kristi, softly. She had taken his hand and was stroking it gently in an effort to soothe him.

"That voice. I heard it as plain as I hear you now. Said somethin' about systems bein' green."

"We heard nothing, Logan," replied Ororo, as Chiana went to her knees with a cloth to clear up the broken mug and the spilt coffee. "You must have imagined it."

"I didn't imagine it," Logan growled, sourly. "I don't imagine voices." He pulled his hand away from Kristi's and stalked across the kitchen to stand near the door, unconsciously picking a spot that was easy to defend in protection of the others. Trying to appear nonchalant, he leaned against the counter and reached into his jacket pocket for an unlit cigar, clamping it between his teeth, determinedly. His eyes roved around the kitchen, seeking something without knowing what it was, and coming to rest on those of his wife. She smiled hesitantly at him and he gave a half smile back, trying to appear as though it had all been a mistake, but knowing that he _had_ heard something. He hadn't imagined the voice.

More unsettling, it had sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't pin a name to it. He knew he had heard it before but the more he tried to remember, the more the memory slipped away from him like quicksilver.

With the immediate excitement over, normalcy returned to the kitchen. Chiana and Talyn regained their seats and began to attack their breakfasts with the enthusiasm and gusto of the very young, while Ororo went to refill her coffee mug. Kristi watched him for a few seconds more, as if trying to decide whether he was going to lose it again or not, and then turned back to fry more bacon in preparation for the morning rush. Logan leaned back against the counter, arms folded, rolling the cigar between his teeth as a low growl rumbled deep in his chest, so quiet that it couldn't be heard by the others, but serving to illustrate his discomfort.

Try as he might, he just couldn't relax and, the more he thought about it, the more alarmed he began to feel. Because for him to begin hearing voices on the very same day that two telepaths began complaining of crippling headaches was just too much of a coincidence in his book ……..

**NEXT: **What the hell's going on? Logan and the Professor try to figure it out.


	16. Distant Drums

Hey everyone! Hope I didn't confuse y'all too much with the last chapter! The idea was, not to explain what's happened to the team straight away, but to allow my readers to figure it out as the X-Men do! Hopefully, this next chapter should shed some light on the situation! Or then again, perhaps not ...... !

**Logan's Wolverettes: **Many thanks, as always, to my faithful reviewers! **nileena, FrozenVoices, sagas. pen and Laudine! **Without you, I'm bereft!

Onward - answers await! Or not .... !

**xxOxx**

**Distant Drums**

Logan made love to his wife that night with an intensity that he hadn't known since the early days of their courting, howling out her name as he came and shuddering with release long after his climax had passed. Afterward, they drifted off to sleep, locked in each other's arms, but Logan slept fitfully, his dreams dominated by strange images that flittered across his mind's eye like quicksilver. He saw Talyn and Chiana standing together across a sunny meadow, waving in greeting. As he walked towards them, Chiana reached out to him and he gathered her into his arms. But as he stroked her hair and whispered words of endearment, her body became as ethereal as mist and, with a startled cry, she faded away, leaving him grasping empty air. An anguished shout sent him spinning to find Talyn, who was fading away in patches, revealing small views of the meadow through his body. Desperately, Logan lunged to save his son but, as their fingers touched, Talyn shimmered and winked out of existence.

Howling in desperation, Logan turned on the spot, seeking his twins but seeing Kristi standing just a few feet away. Frantic that she was about to disappear too, he ran towards her, but bounced off an invisible force field before they could touch. Kristi smiled at him as he lay sprawled in the grass, then calmly and decisively removed her wedding ring. She looked at it curiously for a second or two, then dropped it on the ground at her feet and turned away ……

Logan came awake with a grunt, finding his body covered in sweat and the sheets at his side of the bed tangled around him. He lay quietly for a moment or two, allowing his heart-rate to slow and his mind to adjust to the fact that it had all been a dream. He was no stranger to the concept of nightmares, but this was something different to the usual Weapon X flashbacks that plagued him frequently and had him waking in the night, drenched in sweat and crying out in terror. This latest dream was subtle, but no less disturbing.

Beside him, Kristi slept on, oblivious to his discomfort, the sound of her slow, even breathing calming him somewhat.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep once more, but the image of his twins fading away haunted him and he finally gave up with the realisation that sleep was not going to come easily for the rest of the night. Throwing back the covers, he sat up and swung his legs out of bed, leaning over and burying his face in his hands. The movement roused Kristi, who rolled over and regarded him with sleepy eyes. In the half light, she could just make out his silhouette at the edge of the bed.

"Logan? What's th' matter?"

"Nothin'. Go back ta sleep."

"'Kay." Kristi nodded trustingly and snuggled back under the covers. Within moments, she was asleep once more.

Envying her peace of mind, Logan stood and crossed the room to retrieve his jeans from the floor by the wardrobe, where Kristi had tossed them after stripping them from him during their frenzied love-making. Remembering how feverishly his saucy hellcat had responded to his advances almost made him return to the bed for another round, but memories of the dream entered his mind unbidden and he padded on bare feet to the door, opening it quietly and slipping out into the hallway.

His keen eyesight revealed his route as though bathed in daylight, so Logan was able to make his way downstairs without having to turn on a light and risk disturbing anyone. He stopped off at the kitchen to collect a beer and then made his way to the rec room, intending to flick through the sports channels on the TV in an effort to divert his mind. His nose told him someone was already there as he approached.

Knowing who to expect, he opened the door to see Professor Xavier sitting in his wheelchair and staring disconsolately into the unlit fireplace. He looked up in surprise at Wolverine's entrance.

"Logan! Is anything wrong?"

"Nothin' a beer won't cure. Want one?"

"No, thank you. I have made myself a cup of camomile tea."

Logan settled into a chair opposite the Professor and opened his beer with a spurt of compressed gas. "Can't sleep, huh?"

Xavier nodded the affirmative. "It is most disconcerting," he added. "I have experienced the strangest headaches all afternoon and now I find I am unable to sleep."

"Headaches?" Logan latched on to that thought, finding the truth a little too strange to be coincidental. He leaned forward in his seat. "Betsy an' Jean have been sufferin' from headaches on an' off all day. Don't ya find that just a tad worryin', Prof?"

Xavier nodded. "Yes, I know all about the headaches that Jean and Elizabeth have been experiencing and, I must admit, I am concerned. This is most unprecedented."

"D'ya think we're under attack?" Logan had forgotten all about his beer, which was resting on his knee, the condensation running down the bottle and making a damp patch on his jeans.

Xavier considered his answer for a moment. His mind had been troubled all day and, while talking to Logan was strangely calming, he did not want to say anything to unduly worry his companion. The feral was not known for his diplomatic skills, when all was said and done. However, he was also acutely aware that Logan would know instantly if he tried to lie or gloss around the truth.

Taking a calming sip of his tea, Xavier finally decided that telling the truth as he saw it was the safest course of action. "I honestly can't say with any certainty that we are under attack, Logan, but something is definitely not right." He studied the X-Man's face for a couple of seconds before continuing. "Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary at all in the last few days, Logan?"

"Such as?" Logan's voice was wary.

Xavier sighed. "I don't know, to be honest. Things just seem to be all out of kilter, yet everyone acts as though it is the norm. I just thought that you, being so grounded into your surroundings as you are, due to your enhanced senses, would have noticed if something was amiss."

Logan shrugged, unwilling to admit to hearing a voice and having strange dreams. It was so out of character for him, and he did not want Xavier considering him a nutcase, despite his desire for information. He knew telepaths always found it next to impossible to read his mind, but nevertheless he reinforced his shields and took a long slug of his beer to hide his discomfort. If Xavier noticed anything out of the ordinary he certainly didn't comment. Logan really wasn't sure why he was acting so defensive, but he didn't want to admit to anything until he was sure of his facts.

Xavier's next words completely threw him for six.

"It's highly probable that we are all currently living in some form of dream world."

Logan spluttered his beer, dribbling some down his bare chest as he glared at the telepath in disbelief. "What the hell did ya just say?"

Xavier held up a hand. "Forgive me for startling you, Logan, but I have to consider the possibility that nothing around us may be real."

Logan's expression went from incredulous to downright angry in one fell swoop. "Are ya sayin' that we're all bein' manipulated? That someone's playin' with our minds?"

"I am merely suggesting that we should consider all possibilities."

"Possibilities be damned, Chuck! If someone's messin' with my head they oughta be prepared ta have their features well an' truly rearranged." Despite his brash words, Logan felt a cold knot of fear take root in his stomach at the possibility that someone may once again be manipulating his mind. His memory already bore the scars of years of tampering at the hands of the Team X directors. His subsequent – albeit reluctant – involvement in the Weapon X project had turned Logan into something less than human, releasing his feral side and allowing the beast to dominate. He had no desire to let that happen to him again. He would rather die first.

Xavier didn't miss the barely perceptible whitening of Logan's features and realised that he may have unwittingly released a whole can of worms. But it was unavoidable. If push came to shove, he needed to have his X-Men prepared for trouble and, as long as he held on to his sanity, the Wolverine was the best equipped to deal with it.

Logan was considering the Professor's words over speculative gulps of his beer. "What makes ya think that all this ……." he waved a hand around the rec room, "…… ain't real, Chuck? Feels real ta me. Smells real."

Xavier sighed, rubbing a tired hand across his eyes. "It's more a perception than an absolute certainty, Logan. Some things just seem out of context. As though seeing them from a different point of view."

Logan's brow had furrowed in confusion. "I'm not with ya, Chuck."

"It's difficult to explain. Let me see if I can find an example." Xavier took a sip of his tea as he considered this, then nodded. "Consider Jubilee. She has grown into a fine young woman, and her impending engagement to Richard Coffey is the talk of the mansion. You and she go back a long way, do you not, Logan?"

"Well, yeah, but that's hardly somethin' ta be jittery about, Prof."

"And you say you have noticed nothing strange in the past few days? Particularly about Jubilee?"

"She can be a right royal pain in the backside sometimes, but that's nothin' new." Logan regarded the Professor keenly over the top of his beer bottle. "Spit it out, Chuck. What're ya getting' at?"

"Let me put it this way. How old is Jubilee?"

Logan eyed his mentor as though he'd just gone crazy. "She's twenty-two," he replied, decisively.

The Professor nodded, as if this was the answer he had expected. "Would it surprise you to know that the last memory I have of Jubilee is when she was fourteen?"

"Yer kiddin'!"

"No, Logan, I am not. It is almost as though the intervening years simply never happened. I have no memory of them. And there are other such anomalies. For instance, how old was your wife, Kristi, when you first met?"

Logan smiled at that first memory of Kristi – young, innocent and terrified of her first training session in the Danger Room. Yet he, with his predator's eye, had seen the potential in the young power-blaster and had vowed there and then that she would be his.

"She was twenty-one."

"And now?"

"She's ……" Logan froze, as the awful truth dawned. Kristi was no older now than the day they had first met. Yet his memory told him they had been married for sixteen years. The beer bottle slid from his limp fingers and crashed to the floor, splashing the remains of its contents across the expensive rec room carpet. "My kids ……. ?" he whispered, tightly.

"Logan, I'm sorry, truly I am, but we need to consider the fact that everything may not be as we see it." Xavier reached forward to place a fatherly hand on Logan's knee, but the feral knocked it away with a growl.

"Are ya tryin' ta say that my kids might be impostors, Charles?" Logan's voice was low and full of menace and, as he balled his hands into fists, the tips of his claws poked through the skin at his knuckles. The feral was oblivious to the pain this caused. "My kids ain't impostors. They're mine an' Kristi's. Don't ya think my senses woulda picked up any anomaly in their scent?"

"If our minds are being manipulated, Logan, that's exactly what they'd want you to believe ……"

"Fer Christ's sake, Charles!" Logan surged to his feet and began pacing across the fireplace, running a hand distractedly through his wild black hair. "This is family we're talkin' about here, not some casual acquaintance. I was there when my kids came inta the world – I held 'em in my arms two minutes after they were born an' imprinted their scent. I was there the day Talyn fell off the roof an' broke his leg. I carried him ta the med-lab, fer Christ's sake! An' I remember the day Chiana looked inta her puppy's eyes an' said he'd told her his name was Kimarhi. Memories, Charles! Not implants!"

"But can you be so sure, Logan?" asked Xavier, simply. "It's happened before ……"

Logan snarled, burying his face in his hands. "Dammit, Charles! That's a low blow, an' you know it,"

"It's the truth as I see it, Logan." Xavier wheeled his chair nearer, gesturing expansively around the room. "Somehow, reality has been altered, and we have to find out why and how."

Logan leaned against the fireplace, resting his head against the mantelpiece, the polished wood cool to his skin. A low pounding throbbed just behind his eyes, like the beating of a drum, and his brain felt as though it was about to explode. His very nature was grounded in reality – in what he could touch, hear, see and smell. To be told that he could no longer believe in what his senses were telling him made him feel as though everything was spiralling rapidly out of control and he was powerless to stop it. Deep down, the beast stirred, sensing his inner turmoil and craving release, and Logan clamped down on the seals keeping it imprisoned. _No_ he snarled to himself. _Yer not getting' out._ He knew what would happen if he lost control and allowed the beast to emerge. For the sake of all those around him, he had to keep it contained.

Taking a deep breath, he turned away from the fireplace to face the Professor. "If what yer sayin' is true, Charles, how do we know what's real an' what isn't?" He felt his gut churn as he spoke the words, but grimly forced the nausea down. "What if none o' this is real. You, me, Kristi …… hell, the whole damn team! How do we sort it out?"

"I don't know," Xavier admitted, slumping slightly in his chair. "I don't even know if it's possible. But these anomalies exist, which means that someone, or something, is responsible."

Logan shifted his feet restlessly, realising that it was time to admit to hearing the voice. "If it's any help at all, Charles, I gotta feelin' that we're lookin' fer a 'someone' rather than a 'somethin'."

"Oh? Care to elaborate?"

"I heard a voice." The feral blurted it out in a rush as if afraid that Xavier wouldn't believe him. "I didn't imagine it, but it came outta nowhere. Said somethin' about systems bein' green."

Xavier rubbed a hand across his chin, his brow furrowing. "Well, that certainly sheds a new light on things. I must admit, I didn't expect that at all."

"So what're ya gonna do about it?"

Xavier considered that a moment, sipping at his rapidly cooling tea, thoughtfully. "I think it best if we keep our suspicions to ourselves for the time being. I don't want to cause a panic among the younger students and thereby alert anyone who may be watching that we know something is wrong."

"Ya think we're bein' watched?" Logan couldn't help looking around the room, wondering if surveillance cameras had been hidden in the walls.

"It wouldn't hurt to pretend that we are." The Professor balanced his cup and saucer on the arm of his wheelchair with a soft 'chink'. "I have organised a surprise dinner party for tomorrow evening, in honour of Jubilee passing her final exam. I have invited Richard to attend. Also Gina and Mark and their son will be travelling in from the city to spend the evening with us."

Logan held up his hand to interrupt. "Beggin' yer pardon, Chuck, but can we be sure these people are on the level? How do we know they even exist and are not just a figment of our imaginations?"

Xavier shook his head, sadly. "We don't, Logan, but for the sake of our sanity we have to assume that they do." He paused to let this sink in. "Tomorrow, I intend to spend some time meditating, in order to clear my thoughts. I will then utilise Cerebro and see if I can sense anything that could shed light on our situation. Everyone's presence at the dinner party should ensure that I am not missed."

"D'ya need me ta do anythin', Chuck?"

"No, I don't think so, Logan, but thank you. Just keep everyone occupied and away from the lower levels."

"Will do, Chuck."

Xavier sighed and leaned over to place his cup and saucer on a nearby table. "Go to bed, Logan. I need to think for a while longer."

"Yer sure ya'll be okay?"

Xavier nodded. "I'm sure. Go. I suspect Kristi is missing you. Don't worry about the spilt beer. I will get someone in to clean the carpet in the morning."

"I'm sorry fer that," admitted Logan, ruefully. "Total waste of a good beer, if y'ask me. G'night, Charles."

"Good night, Logan."

Pushing away from the fireplace, Logan nodded to the Professor and padded softly to the door, letting himself out into the darkened hallway beyond. He quickly retraced his steps though the silent mansion, pausing momentarily outside the room he shared with his wife, the expression on his face unreadable as he contemplated the possibility that the girl currently asleep in his bed may or may not actually exist. Then, snorting loudly at the sheer absurdity of it all, he slipped through the door and crossed the floor to stand before the bed, looking down at the figure snuggled beneath the covers. Stripping off his jeans, he dropped them to the floor and climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around his wife and pulling her naked body to his. She whimpered as her back made contact with his cold chest, and he snuffled his nose into her hair, softly stroking her stomach to calm her.

Acting on instinct, he dropped his shields and reached out to the girl in his arms, before suddenly pulling back with a startled oath. _What the hell …… ?_ He had no idea what he'd just been trying to do but somehow it had felt right and natural and, as crazy as it seemed, he had actually expected a response. But Kristi wasn't a telepath, and he certainly wasn't, so what kind of response he had expected to receive was totally beyond his comprehension.

Growling to himself at his own stupidity, he was just about to raise his shields once more when he suddenly felt …… something …… hovering at the very edge of his awareness, like a moth afraid to come to the light for fear of getting its wings burned. Hardly daring to breathe for fear of losing that tenuous contact, he strained further, reaching for it, striving to understand what it was, but the more he tried to hold it close the further it slipped away, until it faded away completely and that dreadful pounding of drums beat its ongoing rhythm behind his eyes once more. Snarling at the invasion, he slammed his shields back into place, knowing they could do nothing to ease the pain, but needing to do something to vent his anger.

Burying his face in his wife's hair, he breathed deep, letting her unique scent surround and soothe him. Somehow he knew that, no matter what Xavier said about their current situation, he and Kristi belonged together. Her scent, a heady mix of both her own and his combined, confirmed this for him. That, and the fact that she felt right in his arms.

"Yer mine, Kristi Logan," he growled, gruffly, into her ear, knowing she was safely asleep and would not hear his vow. "I love you an' no one's gonna take ya away from me." He pulled her closer, surrounding her possessively and tangling his legs with hers. "I'll kill anyone who tries ……"

**NEXT: **Xavier makes a startling discovery!


	17. Into the Void

Hey everyone! I'm sorry if my updates are getting further apart but, honestly, I am so shattered right now! I am working almost every hour god sends - sometimes a full week without a day off! - and I am too tired to write when I get home! Honestly, if we don't get any more staff soon I will be worn away!

Anyway, all complaining aside, here is the latest chapter! Hopefully this won't confuse you too much! I know some of you think you have figured it out, so I hope you're right!

**Logan's Wolverettes:** Many thanks, as always, to **nileena, Sarra Ambrai, sagas. pen, FrozenVoices, Laudine, 12kirby12 **and **Wolfbane17! **Thanks for sticking with me and giving me your input!

Onward - our story awaits!

**ooXoo**

**Into the Void**

"Logan! Over here!"

Wolverine heard the call distinctly over the general hub-hub and turned from his conversation with Ororo to see Gina Hudson and her husband, Mark, beaming at him from the other side of the formal dining room. Their eleven year old son, Jack, peeped shyly from behind his mother's legs, overwhelmed by all the adults present. As his parents started across the room, he trotted along meekly behind, until he spotted Hisako and then he scampered off to catch up with his friend.

Logan excused himself from Ororo and moved to meet them halfway, smiling as Gina waved, eager to talk to her friend. His memory told him that he knew these people, that they had fought together but, after his talk with Xavier the previous evening, he no longer knew whether he could trust those memories or not, and the sense that he was no longer in control was beginning to make him feel antsy. His skin crawled with the thought of unseen eyes watching his every move and, try as he might, he had been unable to rid himself of that cold knot of fear in his gut, a fear brought on by the disturbing possibility that someone was again messing with his head. He'd been in a foul mood all morning because of it and he knew Kristi was beginning to suspect that something was wrong – she'd been casting worried looks in his direction all day. He could see her now, looking as though all her attention was focused on the conversation she was having with Jubilee, but he could sense her periodic glances his way when she thought he wasn't looking. He smiled as he caught her eye, baring his canines in what he hoped was a reassuring fashion. He knew he wasn't fooling her for a second.

Hudson stuck out a hand as he approached and Logan clasped it warmly, genuinely happy to see the man who had risked his own life to save him from a fate worse than death. _Or had he?_ Beside him, Gina was all but bouncing on her toes in her eagerness to add her own greeting and, as the two men parted, she flung her arms around Logan's neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Hey, Logan! Gosh, it feels like we haven't seen you in ages! How are you?"

"Just fine, Gina." Logan held on to the embrace just a little longer than necessary, taking the opportunity to inhale her scent and finding nothing out of the ordinary. He had imprinted it some time ago, along with her husband's, and they were as familiar to him as his own. If Gina and Mark were impostors, they were damn good ones.

He released Gina from the embrace, pushing her back slightly to get a good look at her. "You look good," he declared, generously. "City life must agree with ya both."

"Oh, it does, Logan!" Gina was all smiles, her excitement to be back at the mansion among the friends she loved plain for all to see. "I didn't think I would enjoy the busy lifestyle at first, but I love it now!"

Gina had moved away from the mansion approximately eight months before, after Mark had taken a job in the city, acting as chief security officer for a large construction firm. At least, that's what Logan's memory told him, but with nothing else to go on he was forced to accept it.

"Gina found a wonderful little job as a teaching assistant at a small special needs school." Hudson smiled proudly at his wife. "She loves it. And she's so good with the kids."

"Well, I've had plenty of practise. I was surrounded by them everyday here." She pulled back slightly to take Logan's hand. "Don't get me wrong, I loved being an X-Man, but I really feel to have found my niche now."

"I'm glad," said Logan, honestly. It was rare for a mutant to find such happiness outside the mansion and he wished her every success.

"Hey, Loge, keepin' all the best guests to yourself?"

The feral turned as a hand alighted on his shoulder and found himself face to face with Rik Coffey, Jubilee's fiancé. The former guard's expression was friendly, but Logan affected a growl. "How many times have I told ya ta stop callin' me that?"

"About as many times as you told Jube to stop callin' you Wolvie." Coffey was unrepentant and Logan rolled his eyes, painfully aware that he was fighting a losing battle. Since hooking up with Jubilee, the guard no longer showed any respect whatsoever to his elders. The girl was obviously a bad influence to anyone she came into contact with.

'The girl' in question was currently engaged in trying to hug both Gina and Hudson at the same time and nearly throttling the pair of them. Her excited squeals made Logan wince and Coffey tossed him a sympathetic glance.

Hudson finally managed to extricate himself from her vice-like grip and he stepped back, grinning. "Hey, Jubilee, how're you doing? Still steppin' out with the loser, I see?" He tossed a good natured thumb in Coffey's direction.

Coffey received the comment in the manner in which it was intended and folded his arms, rocking back on one foot. "Hey, you're just peeved 'cause I finally found me a nice girl." His face clouded for a moment and he shook his head as if to clear it, but recovered quickly, wondering what had disturbed him so. He realised that Logan was staring at him and he quickly assumed a grin, pulling Jubilee to him and wrapping his arms around her. "My baby's a clever girl! Not every guy can claim a girlfriend who can fly a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird single handed!"

Jubilee swatted his arm, playfully. "That's nothin', Rik! You should see what I can do with some eggs and a handful of spices."

Gina squealed and suddenly launched herself at Kristi, who was heading over with Chiana in tow. As the two girls embraced and renewed their friendship with excited exclamations, Chiana moved to stand by her father and Logan leaned in to take her scent, closing his eyes to concentrate on the information his senses were supplying him with. There was no mistaking their connection. Her scent was a undeniable mix of both his own and Kristi's and something unique of her own. There was no doubt she was his daughter. Surely Xavier was wrong? _He has ta be wrong._

He opened his eyes to find Chiana studying him intently, her head cocked to the side and her hands on her hips. "Dad? What the hell d'you think you're doing?"

Logan ordinarily didn't allow such language from his children. This time, however, he was too embarrassed at being caught out to do anything but step away from her with a self-conscious cough. "Jus' checkin'."

"Checking? For what?" Chiana's eyes darkened dangerously and she changed her posture, her arms folding loosely across her chest. "I don't do drugs, dad, and you know it."

"I was jus' checkin'," Logan insisted, painfully aware that the eyes of the little group around him were now all focused exclusively on him. Before he realised he had even done it, a low growl started rumbling in his chest and his upper lip pulled back in a snarl, revealing his canines. The beast within him stirred, sensing his loss of control, and he bit off the growl with a snap of his teeth, biting his own lip in the process and actually drawing blood.

Chiana stepped closer, looking with concern into his eyes, which he already sensed were beginning to darken. _Oh god, I'm losing control ……_

"Dad? Are you okay? Mom, is dad okay?"

Kristi moved in to take her husband's arm, standing close so that he could pick up her scent. "It's alright, hon, your father just had a sleepless night last night and he's feeling a bit fragile today. Nothing to worry about." She began to steer Logan deftly around, pointing him towards the bar at the other end of the dining room. "Why don't you keep everyone company while your dad and I go and get some drinks, hmm?"

" …. Okay ….."

Kristi tossed Jubilee a meaningful glance, praying she would understand and breathing a sigh of relief as her friend began to chatter fifty to the dozen about her flying exam, distracting the minds of their guests from Logan's strange behaviour. _Bless you, Jubes! _Leaving herself a mental note to thank her friend later, Kristi steered Logan determinedly across the room towards the bar.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?" she asked, as Logan reached for a beer, snapping the cap off against the counter top.

"Wasn't anythin' ta worry about." Logan repeated her earlier words back to her, taking a deep pull of his beer. Kristi's scent surrounded him, grounding him to reality, and he felt calmer now, the beast back under control, but it had been a close call. His nerves must be well and truly frazzled for him to lose it so easily. Xavier had a lot to answer for.

"Nothing to worry about?" Kristi looked back at him, incredulously. "Logan, you were scenting your own daughter, for pity's sake! What the hell were you thinking?"

He said nothing in his defence and Kristi moved closer, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Logan, are you really okay?" Her voice was soft and gentle now, concern evident in her tone. "You've been on edge all morning. Is something troubling you?"

Logan shook his head, looking into his wife's soft brown eyes. "I'm okay," he asserted, giving voice to the lie. "I had ……. I had a nightmare last night. I guess it affected me more than I thought."

"Oh, love." Kristi stood on tiptoe to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "You should have said. Was it Weapon X again?"

Logan nodded, hating to lie to her but knowing he could never tell her the truth of it. If Xavier was wrong and all this was real, voicing his suspicions would only make his team-mates doubt his sanity. If he was correct …… well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Do you want to go for a walk or something? To clear your head?" Kristi was all concern and Logan felt genuinely guilty for deceiving her. He reached for a couple of beers to take back to Hudson and Coffey, knowing that he had to stay put in order to carry out Xavier's wishes.

"Nah, I'll be fine."

"Well, if you're sure ……" Kristi cast her husband a last glance before turning away to prepare drinks for their guests, loading everything onto a tray. Logan stood silently beside her as she worked, leaning casually against the bar and taking periodic gulps of his beer as he glared around the room. He was working hard to project a show of nonchalance, but Kristi wasn't fooled for a minute. He was obviously brooding about something and was completely on edge. He was giving an incredibly good impression of a powder keg waiting to go off and Kristi silently prayed that he wouldn't encounter a spark.

Because the worst place for him to lose control and go feral right now would be a room full of people ……

**oooOOOooo**

Xavier paused in the open doorway to the formal dining room, dark eyes studying those already gathered there. He had turned the lights off in the hallway so he knew he was concealed by shadow, but he was also projecting a shield of negative-awareness around himself as an added precaution. _I am not here, _he was sending, and so no one looked his way as he watched quietly from the doorway.

He had already seen Logan's near slip as the feral almost lost control of the beast and he almost regretted his decision to include the older X-Man in his plans. But it was a necessary evil in order to achieve results and, while it would pain him if anything should happen to make the feral lose his fragile grip on reality, he also knew he would sacrifice any of his X-Men in order to secure the safety of the rest. It wasn't cruelty, it was simply a matter of survival. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. Or the one.

Exhaling sadly, Xavier backed away from the door and made his way down to the lower levels. He had spent the better part of the day resting and meditating, trying to ease the headaches which seemed to be plaguing all the telepaths, himself included. He now knew his mind was as ready as it ever would be to face the task at hand, although he knew not what he would find once he began to quest outwards. On the one hand, he was wary. Fear of the unknown made his hand shake as he steered his wheelchair down the stark metal corridor towards Cerebro. Yet that very same fear of the unknown loomed as a challenge before him, and Xavier had never backed down from a challenge. He was not about to start now.

The Cerebro chamber was at the very end of the hallway, fronted by an X-styled door. Xavier steered his wheelchair to a halt just in front of it, keeping very still while the internal sensors scanned his retina. Happy with the results, the computer bid him enter and allowed the door to rumble open.

Xavier motored inside, positioning his chair in front of the single control panel at the end of the walkway and taking down the helmet which would enhance his telepathic abilities. He allowed the door to close behind him before placing it on his head, tutting in annoyance to himself as he noticed his hands were shaking. The chamber, for all its silence, seemed to grow dark around him, the tiniest noise magnified a thousand fold, and Xavier allowed himself the briefest pause before casting his mind outwards.

The room remained dark. Where swirling lights of red and white should have surrounded him, representing both humans and mutants, there was nothing. Xavier looked around him at the dark metal walls in confusion and then closed his eyes, casting further, reaching for his X-Men, desperate to make contact.

Nothing. There were at least fifteen people gathered one level above him and he couldn't sense a single one.

Cerebro wasn't malfunctioning. He knew that for certain. So what on Earth could cause one of the greatest mutant minds on the planet to suddenly falter? What the hell was going on …… ?

His blood suddenly ran cold as a dreadful possibility occurred to him. In his worst case scenario, he had simply assumed that he and his X-Men had merely had their memories altered – that they were still living at the mansion with the addition of some new 'members' to keep an eye on their victims. The realisation that he couldn't sense a single mind within their world now led the Professor to believe that they weren't at the mansion at all. But if they weren't at the mansion, where the hell were they?

Determined to find out, Xavier focused his mind, casting outwards once more. It was like reaching into a void. Everywhere he searched, he was met with darkness and silence. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn that every single soul on the planet had suddenly been snuffed out.

_What was that? _Xavier paused, as the barest whisper of a thought suddenly brushed his mind tenderly, like a falling feather. He reached for it, following it back to its source, beads of sweat standing out on his forehead with the effort of holding on to that tenuous contact. It flickered softly, like a light viewed through waving branches at night, and Xavier pulled it to him, whispering soothing words of his own, promising safety. And then, as he folded the contact into a mental embrace, a single phrase suddenly blazed in his mind like a beacon, filled with anguish and hope.

_Help me ……_

Xavier's eyes snapped open with the shock of the contact, almost losing his hold on the fragile psyche. This was one of his X-Men! The connection was so distant, so faint, that he couldn't say for certain which one, but he knew the mental signature almost as well as he knew his own. This was one of his X-Men – and he or she was in trouble.

_***Hold on, I'm coming***_

He sent the mental reassurance with the hope that the recipient would receive it and understand, and then followed the psychic trail, reaching out once more for that troubled mind and almost crying out aloud at the sense of isolation and despair that flowed from it. It didn't understand – it had been beaten and pulled from everything it held dear, and all it wanted to do now was find its way home ……

Xavier strained onward, reaching, ever reaching, his heart filled with sadness, overwhelmed by the flood of emotion coming from his X-Man. Something dreadful had happened to this individual, and Xavier vowed that, before the day was out, those responsible would be made to pay.

The contact was getting stronger, and Xavier was suddenly distracted by the feel of another touch on his mind. This one was also strangely familiar, more so than the first, its psyche seeming to mirror his own. Curious, he reached towards this new contact, attempting to draw it in and discover more but, as he did so, blinding light flashed before his eyes and Xavier threw his arms up to block out the glare. Something seemed to catch hold of him with an iron grip and there was a sudden terrible wrenching feeling, as though he was being pulled out of his body. He struggled to break free, hands going up to pull the helmet from his head and sever the connection, but the grip intensified the more he fought it and, with a heartrending cry of despair, Xavier realised he was hopelessly trapped ……

The light flared, then died away, leaving Xavier's empty wheelchair to topple over on the walkway, one wheel turning slowly and the Cerebro helmet dropping to dangle uselessly from its control panel.

Xavier was gone ……

**NEXT: **Two fight alone …..

Author's note: Incidentally, you may like to know that I am currently working on an M rated Wolverine and Jubilee one-shot, which should be ready to upload in a couple of days. I have also recently been challenged to write a Rogan by Comic-cake! I have accepted the challenge and this one-shot is currently in production! If anyone is interested in reading these fics and, if you haven't already done so, please click on the Author Alert button at the bottom of the page to receive instant notification of uploading! Thanks!


	18. Not Fade Away

Hey everyone! So sorry for the late update, but work is crazy at the moment and I seem to be working all hours god sends! My private life is virtually none existant!! Thanks, everyone, for being so patient and sticking with me through this! But I'm here now, and hopefully this chapter will clear up a few questions!

**Logan's Wolverettes:** My heartfelt thanks to **Frozen Voices, 12kirby12, nileena **and **Laudine! **You're the greatest!

And now, things are afoot! Let's continue ...... !

**ooXoo**

**Not Fade Away**

_Where am I?_

Xavier groaned as sudden feeling rushed into his limbs, assaulting his nerves with white hot pain and making him feel dizzy and nauseous. He flung out a steadying hand, encountering a smooth, hard surface before him and he opened his eyes to find himself staring at an opaque glass panel set just inches from his nose. A small dim light above his head provided just enough illumination to see that he was standing in his pyjamas in a coffin-sized metal enclosure with the single opaque glass wall ahead. A metal band across his chest held him securely in place and a questing hand discovered the presence of electrodes taped to his forehead and chest.

_What the hell's going on?_

The last thing he remembered was reaching out to a soul in need, before being dragged off course and held against his mental will. He put a hand to his head and groaned as he recalled that dreadful feeling of being wrenched from his body and flung across the void. He seemed to remember blacking out for a time before waking to his current predicament. But just where was he? And, more importantly, what had happened to his X-Men?

As his head cleared and awareness slowly returned, he realised there was an alarm ringing somewhere nearby. But barely had the fact been registered, when the restraining band across his chest retracted and the opaque panel in front of him hissed open. With nothing to hold him up, he pitched forward, the electrodes tearing from his forehead and chest. He flung out his hands to arrest his fall and landed heavily on a cold metal floor, the alarm, now that he was free of the casket, ringing painfully in his ears.

He had scraped his hands against the floor as he fell, and he now tucked them against his chest with an agonised hiss, rolling onto his back in an effort to place his surroundings. His eyes widened at what he saw and a soft curse escaped his lips.

"Oh my god ……"

The room was roughly circular with a central control console, over which rested another of the caskets, positioned horizontally and with multiple connections leading to the console itself. But it was the caskets around the perimeter of the room that forced the strangled gasp from Xavier's lips, at least twenty of them, and most with a flashing green light on a control panel by the door to signify that it was occupied. Horrified, Xavier craned his neck to look around the room, reaching out with his gift to make tenuous contact with the occupants – Cyclops, Rogue, Wildstar, Iceman, Wolverine, Gambit …… the list went on and Xavier felt a tear slide down his cheek at the realisation that _this_ was the real world. Trapped in a form of suspended animation, his X-Men were being forced to live out a life of fantasy - to form attachments and raise families that did not exist simply because a madman willed it so.

Dashing a hand across his face to wipe away the tears, Xavier twisted around to pull himself towards the central console. The alarm was still blaring out and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he must have set it off by waking from the cryo-sleep. It stood to reason that someone would be along to investigate said alarm before long so, if Xavier was going to do anything to save his X-Men he had to do it now, and quickly, before he was discovered and wired back into the casket.

There was no chair in front of the console and he found it difficult to reach the control panel but, by pulling up with his arms and keeping all his weight on them, he was just able to reach all the controls. It put a great strain on his shoulders and lower back, but he was willing to suffer any amount of pain if it meant he could free his people.

He wasn't really sure what he was doing, but he had some small knowledge of computers, so he attacked likely looking switches with gusto, hoping he was doing the right thing and not condemning the captives to a lifetime of nightmares. As he worked, he stole quick glances at the casket set over the console, wondering why this one was so special as to be separated from the others. It seemed to be important to the function of the console but, if so, what was it doing and who was in it?

*** Pod six – cryo-sleep terminated. Stand**** by for countdown. T-minus thirty minutes and counting ***

Xavier could have cheered as the female computer voice announced his success, but was concerned by the thirty minute deadline. He knew he didn't have thirty minutes. He would be lucky if he had five. However, undeterred, he returned to the control panel, praying he would have the time to free another X-Man. He had no idea what, or who, they were up against, or even how many or whether they were powered or not. That they had managed to take down a highly trained team of mutants seemed to suggest that they were, but there was no way of knowing that for sure, at least until he could confirm his story with one or more of his people. His own recollections of the event were hazy at best – his last memory was of retiring to his room with the onset of a headache, but even the memories before that seemed strangely fogged and vague, as though they were those of a different person entirely. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't rule out the possibility of telepathic invasion ……

***Pod ten – cryo-sleep terminated. Stand by for …… ***

Xavier dropped down behind the console as the sound of footsteps echoed along a corridor beyond the cryo-chamber, distracting his mind from the computer voice. His eyes roved anxiously around the walls, finally locating the door set between two of the caskets, almost hidden by shadow. Anyone coming through the door couldn't fail to see him cowering by the console and he made a valiant effort to crawl back to his casket, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that two green lights were now flashing on the control panel. He had to free his X-Men and, to that end, his own safety was incidental.

He heard voices just seconds before the door opened to admit two men, one large and bulky, the other younger, smaller and slightly built. The younger man was turned towards the large man as he spoke and was momentarily out of Xavier's immediate line of sight. "…… I swear, Hammer, if it's the damn oxygen filters again, I'll drag Tech in here by his blasted balls …… what the hell?" He broke off as he noticed the figure lying on the floor and Xavier got his first glimpse of the speaker.

"Oh my god …… You!"

Blizzard glared at the telepath. "What the hell are you doing out of your pod, Xavier?" He gestured to his companion, curtly. "Go get him, Hammer. Stuff him back into his pod …… No, wait!" The big mutant hesitated as Blizzard revised his plan. "I'm sure the boss would be interested to find out how Xavier managed to negate the sleep." He nodded to the larger man. "Get him, Hammer. And for heaven's sake, cancel that damned alarm!"

Hammer nodded and moved to the control console. Blizzard started to follow and Xavier experienced a sudden surge of panic. He had a feeling that the big mutant wasn't exactly the brightest firework in the box and wouldn't notice the two flashing green lights on the control panel, but Blizzard was another matter entirely. If he saw them and realised what they meant ……

Desperate, Xavier gathered his wits and reached out with his mind towards the young ice-caster, worming his way into his thoughts and concealing his presence just enough to make it look like a sneak attack. Blizzard reacted just as he expected him to – he whirled to face Xavier, face contorted with hatred as he flung out a hand to send a wave of blistering cold flowing over the grounded telepath. Xavier broke the contact at once, his teeth chattering as Blizzard stalked across the room to confront him.

"Don't ever try to enter my mind again! Do you hear me, Xavier? I'll kill you if you even_ think_ of doing that again."

Xavier groaned, rolling over as his limbs shook uncontrollably. He realised suddenly that the alarm had stopped and that Hammer was following in his companion's tracks. He'd done it! But he had to keep their attention focused on him and not on the control panel or he and his people were doomed to serve a lifetime of existence inside a fantasy world.

He looked up, shakily, as Blizzard stood over him, fists clenched. "You won't get away with this, Daniel. Sooner or later, someone will avenge us. Contrary to popular belief, the X-Men have many friends in high places, including the Canadian Secret Service."

"In order to free you, Nick Fury will have to find you first. Likewise for your mutant friends in Alpha Flight." Blizzard's stance relaxed as he deemed Xavier helpless before him, and he folded his arms in satisfaction, having correctly guessed who the telepath was alluding to. "Let's face it, Professor, you and your little band of misfits are buried so deep that no one will ever be able to find you, least of all rescue you. You might as well resign yourself to the fact that you're here for the duration." He gestured to Hammer. "Pick him up. We'll let the boss interrogate him an' then he can go back in his pod. He's probably gonna need to be mind wiped as well so that he remembers none of this."

Xavier's blood ran cold at Blizzard's casual remark, so callous in regard to a fellow mutant. He opened his mouth to protest, but then flinched as Hammer reached down to grasp the front of his pyjamas, hauling him roughly to his feet and tucking him under a hard muscled arm. Blizzard made for the door and Hammer followed on like an obedient puppy, carrying Xavier carelessly as if he were a ragdoll.

As they exited the cryo-chamber and began to move down the narrow metal corridor beyond, Xavier experienced a sharp sense of relief, despite his trepidation at what was to come. To all intents and purposes, he had succeeded in freeing two of his X-Men from their imaginary prison. They would undoubtedly free the rest of their team-mates in a similar fashion, thereby ensuring that the entire team would be combat ready when they moved against Blizzard and his cohorts. In a way, Xavier pitied the ice-caster. For what had been done to them so forcefully and against their will, he doubted the team would be in the mood to be forgiving.

Only one doubt plagued his mind. With no way of knowing which of the X-Men were being held in the caskets, Xavier had been forced to de-activate two at random, although his cursory inspection had revealed that several caskets were linked in pairs, suggesting some sort of connection between the occupants. Suspecting this, he had deliberately targeted two of the linked caskets, hoping that they contained Jean and Scott, or even Rogue and Remy. Either of these pairs would be capable of freeing the others and taking on Blizzard.

But if he had misjudged, and freed only two of his trainees, then he very much feared that he'd just condemned his X-Men to a fate worse than death.

**oooOOOooo**

"Well, I really think the evening went well, don't you?" Kristi kicked off her shoes and slipped out of her best black pants to reveal long, shapely legs. Logan, seated on the bed, paused in the act of removing his boots to appreciate the view. "It's really nice that Gina and Mark can stay on for a couple of days, too. We haven't seen them in ages. I've missed them."

"I'm missin' somethin' too, but it ain't Gina or Mark." Logan put his hands flat on the bedcover behind him and leaned back, eyeing Kristi speculatively.

Kristi had fallen for this ruse before, but that didn't mean she wasn't in the mood to indulge her husband again. "Okay, I'll bite," she grinned back. "Just what are you missing so desperately?"

Logan crooked a finger at her and waggled it, beckoning her nearer. "C'mere, an' you'll find out," he growled.

"Ooh, is that a promise?" Kristi put a finger to her lips, pretending to consider her options, then padded on bare feet towards the bed, smiling as her husband's eyes darkened. He spread his knees as she approached and let her slip between them, locking his ankles and effectively caging her in. Kristi's position put his nose at a convenient height for nuzzling into her cleavage and he happily took full advantage of that fact, growling in approval as her fingers ruffled through his hair.

"It always comes down to sex with you, doesn't it?" she moaned, breathlessly, as Logan began to undo the buttons on her blouse, revealing a feminine and lacy bra.

"I don't hear ya complainin', darlin'." Buttons now all undone, his hands ghosted up her sides and over her arms to her shoulders, where he gently eased the blouse back, letting it fall to the floor at his feet. Kristi tilted her head back with a breathless sigh as he nipped gently at the creamy flesh that was spilling over the top of her bra, before pushing him back and disentangling herself from his legs. Logan growled warningly at the affront, but Kristi pressed a kiss to his forehead and then skipped nimbly out of reach of his arms.

"I need to freshen up a bit first," she announced, in reply to his questing look.

"What the hell for?" Logan huffed out an exasperated sigh at the crazy logic of women. "I'm only gonna get ya all hot an' sweaty again anyway."

"Ooh, promises, promises!" Kristi paused at the bathroom door and flashed him a sultry grin. "Just keep everything boiling, lover, I won't be long. I just need to brush my teeth and wash this gunk off my face."

"I'd prefer ta lick it off. More fun that way," grumbled Logan, but she had slipped into the bathroom and he doubted she had heard. The sound of plastic clinking against glass announced that fact that she had picked up her toothbrush and, when the tap started running, he tilted back with a sigh, closing his eyes as he envisioned her lithe body leaning over the sink. He growled low in his chest in anticipation of the pleasure that was to come that evening.

A sudden crash from the bathroom had him sitting up, instantly alert. "Kris?"

A low sob reached his ears and he surged to his feet, reaching the bathroom door just as Kristi appeared in the doorway, staggering slightly as she clutched at the jamb with a shaky hand. Logan steadied her with his hands to her shoulders as she sought his face with fearful eyes.

"Logan? The glass fell through my fingers …… smashed ……"

"Well, hey babe, don't worry about that. We'll snatch another one from the kitchen in the mornin'." He tried to pull her into an embrace, but she pushed away from him, bringing her free hand from behind her back and holding it before her face.

"No, Logan, the glass fell _through_ my fingers. Do you understand? _It fell through my freakin' fingers!"_ She shook her free hand under his nose and, with sudden clarity and a feeling like all his blood had abruptly turned to ice, Logan could see that her fingers had turned transparent. He clutched desperately at her wrist, still solid, and Kristi whimpered. "What the hell's happening to me?"

His hand slipped as the effect travelled up her arm and she reeled back, clutching desperately at her husband with hands that no longer had any feeling. "Oh god, Logan! _Help me!"_

But he couldn't. He reached for her, his hands simply sliding through the body that held no more substance than mist, his heart breaking as she cried for him to help her, to hold on to her. And, as his wife faded away into nothingness, he realised he had finally lost her – he was alone again – and he threw back his head and howled, his claws springing from his hands as the beast took advantage of a mind that was already fragile, surging up and out, taking over the man called Logan and leaving only the Wolverine in control.

He spun on the spot, howling like a madman, and lurched forward to slash viciously at the dresser, sending splinters of wood flying across the room like deadly missiles. Not stopping the assault until it was completely obliterated, he turned his attention to the bed, shredding the covers and ignoring the shouts of alarm coming through the door that he had locked to ensure that he and his wife could enjoy their night of passion uninterrupted. But his wife was gone now and, as Cyclops' optic blast destroyed the door, he leapt to avoid the flying debris, his foot tangling in the shredded remains of the comforter. Howling, he pitched forward ……

…… to land with a thud on a cold metal floor. Confused, he surged to his feet, dropping instinctively into a battle crouch, his claws spread before him and a menacing growl thundering in his chest. Something nudged against his consciousness, demanding entrance, but he shut it out, fighting it – until a pair of soft arms enfolded him from behind and a scent he knew as well as he knew his own assaulted his nostrils.

"Logan, it's me. It's alright, I'm here. Let me in."

He trusted the voice, knew instinctively that it's owner would never do anything to hurt him, and so he dropped his shields, letting her in as she requested and crying out with barely restrained emotion as Kristi's presence flowed into his mind, reasserting the bond which had been negated by the cryo-sleep. She stroked his hair, calming him, willing him back to her as he fought the beast back under control and forced it down into its abyss.

When his claws sheathed themselves with a sharp metallic 'snakt', Kristi released him and moved to kneel in front of him, looking worriedly into his darkened blue eyes.

"Logan, are you okay? Are you with me now?"

Logan chose not to answer, standing instead and looking around him with bewilderment. He closed his eyes, taking in the scent of his surroundings, realising with a jolt that most of the X-Men were present, their heart-rate and respiration slowed to almost none existent. Unconsciously, he turned his head to focus on the spot where Xavier had lain before he ……

…… And then Logan picked up another scent, one he knew well, and a low growl rumbled deep in his chest. Alarmed, Kristi stepped closer, looking up at him nervously.

"What is it, Logan?"

"Trouble," responded the feral, smartly. He ducked around her and strode to the control panel, studying the flashing lights and switches with an unpractised eye. _God-dammit!_ Why did the villains always tie everything in to a complicated computer set up? What was wrong with a good old-fashioned cage?

"What did they do to us?" Kristi moved to his side, overwhelmed by her surroundings. "It was Blizzard, wasn't it? I remember him standing over me, laughing …… and then ……" She looked away as the life she had shared with Logan in the 'other time' flowed back to her memory and she bit back the tears that threatened to fall, clamping down on her shields so that her bondmate wouldn't sense her inner turmoil.

"Yeah, it was Blizzard." Despite her efforts, Logan knew exactly what was going on in her mind, but had no idea how to comfort her, simply because he was experiencing the same unease. The bold, assertive wife he had known for the last sixteen years was gone, replaced with a shy and inexperienced bondmate. And, while this was the original Kristi – the one he was bonded to and loved dearly – he couldn't help but ache with an inexplicable feeling of loss.

Forcing his ruminations to the back of his mind, he turned to face her. "Xavier suspected somethin' like this had happened. I tried not ta believe him, but he was right. We've been held in some kinda alternate dream life fer god knows how long." He shuddered briefly, his lips curling back in a feral snarl. "They've been messin' with our minds an' somebody's gonna pay fer that."

Kristi didn't like to dwell on what that might mean for Blizzard and anyone associated with him if and when Logan caught up with them. She looked around at the caskets lining the walls, suddenly feeling as though her bondmate was a stranger to her. Her memories told her that she had spent the last sixteen years of her life as his wife, yet she didn't know him at all.

"Do you think we can free the others?" she asked, softly.

Logan nodded. "Yeah, I do. I'm willin' ta bet that Xavier freed us before he was carted off ta god knows where by Blizzard. Can't be too difficult ta cancel the programme an' get the others out."

Kristi sensed there was something he wasn't saying. "But …… ?" she prompted.

"Ya gotta do it alone, Kris."

"Logan, no …… !"

"Kris, listen ta me!" He caught her wrists and pulled her to him, holding her close as he stroked her hair and willed her to see sense. "I gotta …… I gotta cut lose fer a while, Kris, an' I can't do that while yer with me. I need ta be alone."

"But why?" Kristi pulled back and looked up at her mate with those eyes that made him want to forget everything and simply fall into her arms. But he couldn't give in.

"I gotta do this, Kris. You know enough o' my past ta realise that my mind has been messed with so many times I can't tell what's real or not any more. An' now it's happened again. It's lowered my control, Kris, an' the animal inside me wants out. It needs blood – demands it."

"But I can help you," Kristi whispered, softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I can keep you calm through the bond. Logan, don't turn me away just because you think you'll hurt me."

Logan shook his head, pushing her away from him and turning his back on her. "I can't take that chance, Kris. I've lost control once already. I gotta go." He strode towards the door, then turned. "Free the others, Kris. I'll stay in touch." He tapped his head. "If I find a way out of here I'll come back fer ya, otherwise just keep everyone movin'." And then he turned, slipped out of the door and was gone.

Kristi watched the door in silent shock for a moment, feeling abandoned and alone. He'd left her! They were in a hostile environment, surrounded by potential enemies who could attack at any moment, and he'd simply walked off and left her to cope alone. What kind of a bondmate was that?

Feeling irked that she hadn't thought of it sooner, she summoned the sharpest spike of anger, betrayal and hurt that she could and hurled it down the bond, hoping that it knocked him cross-eyed till he came to his senses. She knew the retaliation was childish, but she couldn't help it – right now she _felt_ like a child. Being an X-Man was far from her mind – she was scared, overwhelmed and completely out of her depth. She desperately needed a friend, someone to talk to and take comfort from. She had hoped Logan would fill that role. Evidently, she was wrong.

Turning back to the console with a sigh of resignation, she carefully studied the configuration for a moment, before deciding she really had nothing to lose. She was alone and afraid and, if her frantic button pushing and switch pulling accomplished nothing, she would still be alone and afraid. Nothing would have changed, apart from her willingness to try.

She jumped when the computer voice calmly announced that cryo-sleep had been terminated on pod two and took heart from that, knowing that she would soon have the comforting presence of the team around her. Only when all the occupied caskets had been deactivated, did she allow herself to sink to the floor in exhaustion, her mind roving, unbidden, back to the 'other time'. Her 'life' with Logan had been a happy one, filled with love and family. And, as her thoughts turned to the twins that she had loved and would now never have, it was only then that she allowed herself to cry ……

**NEXT: **Wolverine faces a watery grave!


	19. Sink Or Swim

Hey, everyone! I'm so chuffed! I've actually hit 100 reviews with this story! Many, many thanks to all who have submitted their input! Without you, I wouldn't have had the courage to continue!

**Logan's Wolverettes:** Many thanks to **Laudine, 12kirby12, nileena **- Congratulations on being my 100th review, and thank you! - **Sarra Ambrai **and **FrozenVoices! **And hello to guest reviewer **gambitstalker!**

I'm too hyped up to chatter anymore, so let the mayhem commence!

**ooXoo**

**Sink or Swim**

Jean was the first to emerge from cryo-sleep, staggering out of her pod dressed in a tiny baby-doll nightie and with her hair pulled from its pony-tail and dishevelled. Eyes flicking wildly around her surroundings, she quickly noticed Kristi huddled on the floor by the control panel, sobbing bitterly and, at once, her Danger Room training kicked in, shocking her back to reality and alerting her to the fact that a team-mate was in distress. Long legs took her to Kristi's side in three strides.

She gathered Kristi into a hug, patting her back as the younger girl sniffled into her shoulder. "Kristi, honey, it's alright. I'm here. What's the matter? Are you afraid?" A sudden flash of insight had Jean pushing Kristi back slightly to look into her brown tear-stained eyes. "Oh god, it's Logan, isn't it? What's he done now?"

Kristi had enough presence of mind to remember that Jean wasn't supposed to know about her and Logan's relationship and she shook her head, weakly. "It's not Logan, Jean. It's …… I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed, that's all."

Jean wasn't fooled. Memories of the 'other time' were still fresh in her mind – painfully so – and she knew that Kristi and Logan had been married in that life. With children. _Oh Lord …… _She could still hear the awful howls of anguish coming from their room right before Scott had blasted the door off its hinges to find the room all but destroyed and empty, and her heart went out to the distraught girl in her arms, knowing exactly what had occurred.

Logan had pulled a disappearing act again.

At the worst possible time, when Kristi was still reeling from the shock of losing a husband and her children in one fell swoop, he'd up and abandoned her, leaving her to cope with the aftermath alone.

Much as she loved Logan, Jean really wished she could get her hands on him right now. He needed some sense knocking into him and she was just the woman to do it. He could turn those feral blue eyes on her as much as he liked but, when she found him, he was going to learn just what it really meant to anger a telekinetic.

But, right now, her priority was Kristi. The girl needed help and, in all honesty, Jean couldn't pretend she didn't know about her and Logan any longer. It was obvious that she was having a hard time dealing with the hard-headed feral and all the emotional baggage that came with him and, if their relationship was going to survive, Kristi needed all the help she could get.

She took Kristi's hands in hers. They were cold and she chafed them to get some warmth back into them. "Kristi, honey, you don't need to cover for Logan any longer. I know all about you both. I …… er …… well, I actually suspected something was going on between you and I forced him to confess. He told me you had a thing going and that you were trying to keep it quiet."

Kristi's eyes widened. "You do …… ? He did …… ?"

Jean nodded. "Yes, hon. But not to put too fine a point on it, Logan is a very difficult man to handle. He's extremely complex and I can't stand silently by and see you struggling with him any longer. If you want to hold on to him you're going to have to smarten up and stop treating him with kid gloves. I assume you do want to hold on to him?"

"Oh god, yes, Jean!" Kristi's tear-stained face lit up with such joy that Jean's heart almost broke. "I love him so much it hurts! But he can be so intense sometimes that he scares me. And then he gets all loving and I just get confused. How can I deal with that, Jean?"

"Give him back exactly what he gives you," retorted Jean, frankly. "When he's acting like a stubborn-headed mule, stand up to him. Be bold. And when he's loving, be soft for him. Flirt for him. Seduce him if you have to. There's a reason he was drawn to you in the first place, Kristi, and once you find out what it was you'll have him eating out of your hand."

Kristi nodded, realising from Jean's final words that the redhead didn't know that the bond had formed their connection. But the rest of her advice had her squirming inwardly and the heat in her cheeks gave evidence of her intense blush.

"I don't think I'm very good at flirting, Jean," she admitted, in an embarrassed whisper. "And I'm …… well, I'm still a virgin. I've never had any experience with boys. And Logan's such a …… such a man."

Jean squeezed her hand. "There are ways around that, Kristi. Men tend to think with another part of their anatomy, not with their brains. Logan's no different. We'll just take advantage of that, shall we?"

If it was possible, Kristi's blush deepened, and she looked back at the redhead in shock. She'd had no idea that the normally level-headed telepath could think so …… dirty. In Kristi's mind, Jean and Scott's relationship suddenly seemed to take on a whole new meaning.

Jean noticed Kristi's wide-eyed expression and laughed. "Don't worry, Kristi, I'm not going to turn you into a maneater overnight. Just give you some ammunition to fire Logan's way every once in a while. Something he'll appreciate." She paused, taking a moment to look around at the silently brooding caskets. "So, other than the obvious, any idea what made him take off?"

"He went feral," responded Kristi, ruefully. "I think the shock of seeing me fade out made him lose control. I managed to calm him down, but he wouldn't stay. He said he might hurt me if he lost control again."

"The same old argument," snorted Jean. "When will he ever realise that he never hurts the ones he loves? He's gone feral around Jubilee more times than I can count and he's never once turned on her. In fact, up to now, she's been the only one capable of calming him and bringing him back. The fact that you've managed to do it too suggests that you've already made a huge impression on him."

"It was hard," admitted Kristi, with a wan smile. "I kinda felt like losing control myself. I'd just been ripped from my home, my family ……" She paled, visibly. "Jean, we had twins …… I know they were never really mine, but I miss my children ……"

Jean pulled her into a close embrace. "I know, sweetie. Try to be strong. The memories are so vivid, but I'm sure they will fade in time."

The soft hiss of a pod opening, and a dry cough, announced the emergence of Scott. The team leader staggered slightly as he made his way over to his fiancée and team-mate. "What the hell's going on?" he demanded, ever the one for immediate answers. "What's wrong with Kristi? And where's Logan?"

"Kristi's fine," replied Jean, getting to her feet and putting her hands on her hips, which only served to accentuate her scantily clad figure. "She's just feeling a bit fragile right now, not surprisingly, and we were sharing some comfort. And Logan's scouting ahead. Trying to find us a way out, no doubt." She felt a surge of gratitude from her young team-mate and sent back a note of reassurance. She couldn't, in all honesty, betray Logan's disappearance to her fiancé – at least not while the pair of them were floundering and still finding their feet.

Cyclops nodded, having no reason to suspect the white lie. He took off his fighting jacket and slipped it around Jean's shoulders. Her feet were still bare and therefore cold, but there was nothing he could do about that, at least until they could find some clothes.

Over the course of the next hour, the pods slowly released their captives, gradually adding to the team's numbers. Shadowcat emerged, crying bitterly for her dragon, Lockheed, whom she had seen blasted out of a window by Blaze when they had been attacked in the upper levels of the mansion. Fearing her constant companion dead, she was consumed with grief.

Jubilee and Coffey stared at each other in an awkward silence for a time, before giving each other a tentative hug and moving to opposite sides of the room. Jean hoped that, for the sake of their sanity, they hadn't indulged in any pre-marital sex while in the 'other time'. It wouldn't actually have happened, of course, but the memories and the shame would still be strong.

Gina and Hudson burst into tears the moment they both emerged and clung to each other for a long time, whispering words of endearment and mourning their son, Jack. Remy had been stripped to the waist, his broken ribs bound with bandages. The fact that he was still in a lot of pain suggested that they hadn't been captives for long, at least.

Scott moved among the members of his team as they emerged from the pods, giving comfort when it was asked for and trying to make the transition from dream world to reality as smooth as possible. The signs of trauma were unmistakable, although all made a valiant effort to overcome it. They were X-Men, after all. But he knew that the psychological scars left by their experience would be a long time fading.

By the time the last pod gave up its occupant, they had a total of fourteen X-Men - which included the absent Professor and Wolverine – and two civilians, Coffey and Hudson. A quick headcount revealed that they were missing one X-Man – Beast – along with Husk, Wolfsbane and Cannonball of the trainees. Based on everyone's last memories of the real world, their whereabouts were unknown.

Cyclops eventually called everyone to order, raising his hands for attention. Based on Kristi's assurances that Wolverine had ordered them to move out, he knew he needed to start evacuating as soon as possible and, to that end, he needed to form everyone into a fighting formation, with the weakest in the center where they could be protected. Thanks to everyone's memories of the attack, he knew they were facing Blizzard and his little band of traitors and nothing would give him more pleasure than being able to kick some ass.

He was just about to begin issuing orders when a click and a soft hiss came from the pod in the very center of the console. It drew all eyes as the opaque panel slowly slid back and a small hand appeared over the lip of the casket. The woman who sat up within it was completely unknown to everyone, seeming about thirty years of age, with straight black hair and intense brown eyes which flashed angrily as she stared around at the ragtag group of mutants gathered below her.

She lifted her chin, haughtily. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

**oooOOOooo**

Logan felt the familiar pull of pain the minute the door to the cryo-chamber closed behind him, recognising it as the punishment he always received from the bond when he abandoned his bondmate. But he couldn't return to her. In his near feral state he was a danger to her and he would never forgive himself if he turned and attacked her. The thought never occurred to him that the bond wouldn't allow him to hurt her, and so he staggered down the corridor, almost doubled over with the pain in his head, barely aware of where he was going. He howled in anguish, clutching his head in his hands, every step feeling as though it would be his last, fearing he would pass out at any moment from the searing intensity.

In the end, it was his near feral state that actually saved him from passing out. He was always stronger when he went berserker, and it was this strength that gave him the means to fight the blackness that threatened to overwhelm him. The effort almost sent him to his knees and, by the time the pain reseeded to a dull ache at the back of his skull, he was breathing heavily and his face was wet with sweat. He shook his head like a dog, sending the droplets flying every which way and scruffing his already wild hair. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he took stock of his surroundings.

He was standing at the bottom of a narrow stairwell. He didn't remember coming down it, but the fact that his own scent led up forced him to believe that he'd staggered down, oblivious to his route while fighting the blackness. The steady thump of oxygen filters thrummed in his ears, a sound he'd heard before while in the 'other time' – a sound he'd interpreted as a drumming headache. Even in cryo-sleep, his enhanced senses had been picking up evidence from the real world around him.

The corridor smelled musty and damp, overlaid with the sharp tang of rusty metal, which led him to believe that he was underground. He'd smelled such surroundings before and the less he dwelled on that, the better. That way led to madness.

So, considering that he was underground, he really needed to be going up, not down, if he was going to find a way out, but a large door with a circular locking mechanism, similar to those found on a submarine, drew his attention from the end of the corridor and, before he had time to consider the implications of his actions, he was already moving towards it.

Judging by the overall scent of decay around him, he had expected the lock to be rusted and stiff, but it spun easily when he turned it and gave every impression of being well used and maintained. This alone set off the alarm bells in his head, but he had long ago learned that nothing ventured, nothing gained and if poking around gave him an advantage over the enemy, then so be it.

The room he entered had him whistling appreciatively through his teeth. Circular once again, like the cryo-chamber, the walls held every conceivable article of diving equipment on adapted shelving – scuba gear, diving suits, jet packs, cameras – both hand-held and remote - harpoons and other assorted weapons gave silent witness to the amount of wealth needed to amass such a collection. Set straight ahead from the door, a single porthole looked out onto stygian blackness tinged with green and a large lifting and docking device, currently empty, jutted out over the circular opening in the floor, in which dark water lapped lazily.

They weren't underground – they were under_water._

Logan recognised the room immediately as a moon pool, a place where divers could come and go from the ocean without the inconvenience of an airlock, because the whole base was pressurised. The docking cradle was used to berth a small mini-sub, obviously for use to and from the surface and, equally as obvious, evidently in use right now.

Suddenly feeling as though he'd walked into a James Bond movie, Logan stalked to the edge of the pool and peered down, seeing nothing but the restless water. So here was his way out, but did he dare use it? With no way of knowing how deep they were, he could very well be signing his own death warrant if he decided to risk it. He was a strong swimmer – all the X-Men were, it came with the training – but he preferred to avoid water when at all possible. The added weight of the adamantium bonded to his skeleton meant that he tended to swim like a brick, taking great effort just to keep him afloat. Despite his healing factor and his greater stamina, he often tired in water far faster than the female members of the team and that added up to a greater risk of drowning.

Which is why he backed away from the moon pool with every intention of not jumping in.

He turned just in time to see two men enter the room, neither of which he'd seen before, but the scent of the larger one had been strong in the cryo-chamber along with Blizzard's, which meant he had been present when Xavier was taken. The second man, older and smaller, had the scent which Logan realised had been all around him to a lesser degree up to now, which suggested he also had a hand in the whole kidnapping affair and was therefore equally eligible for a good kicking.

The smaller man's face twisted into a confused frown when he noticed Wolverine standing by the pool. "Who the hell are you? And how did you get in here?"

Wolverine dropped into a battle ready crouch and unsheathed his claws with a flick of his wrists, pulling his lips back into a feral snarl and allowing a steady growl to rumble in his throat.

The man paled visibly, recognising the claws if not the man. "Oh bloody hell …… !" He dodged behind the larger man. "For god's sake, kill him, Hammer, or we're all done for …… !"

Hammer started forward, but Wolverine wasn't willing to wait for him to get near. With an ear-splitting howl, he launched himself at the larger mutant, claws spread before him. The smaller man, Tech, yelped and back-peddled furiously towards the door.

Wolverine met Hammer's fist with an impact that would have shattered his skull had it not been bonded with adamantium. He crashed to the floor, momentarily stunned, rolling over too late to avoid the follow-up kick that sent him sliding back towards the moon pool on his back, his claws dragging along the metal floor with a screech. It was only when his body tipped over the edge, and began its downward plunge, that his encounter with the frigid water shocked him back to his senses and he flung out a hand, driving his claws into the metal siding of the pool and arresting his fall before he went under completely.

Grasping the edge of the pool with his other hand, he hauled himself up and out, and clambered to his feet, dripping from the chest down and feeling a slow burning rage building within him. Baring his teeth, he snarled viciously, and had the satisfaction of seeing Hammer falter, before launching himself once again at the large mutant, howling all the way. This time, however, as Hammer swung at him with a meaty fist, Wolverine sprang, vaulting the arm and somersaulting over Hammer's shoulder.

As his feet touched the floor, he lunged towards Tech with a feral growl, leading with his claws and sending the other man scrambling backwards in a panic. Tech screamed as the claws connected with a wildly flailing arm, leaving three bloody cuts in the skin.

Before Wolverine could press his advantage, a huge fist caught him at the back of the neck and swung him away from Tech. In a grotesque parody of the Fastball Special, Hammer hurled the feral across the room in a hefty one-armed throw.

Wolverine sailed across the moon pool and crashed into the porthole, grunting at the impact and feeling something give beneath him. As he slumped to the floor, he heard something crack and a piece of two inch thick glass landed heavily just to the right of his head. Rolling over onto his stomach, he stared at it in startled comprehension. This was definitely not good ……

Tech had obviously come to the same conclusion. Clutching his injured arm tightly to his chest, he yelled to his companion. "Hammer, leave him! The pool's integrity has been breached! Get outta there!"

He was scrambling for the door before the last words were out of his mouth. Hammer cast a last baleful glare at Wolverine and then loped after his team-mate, making the floor shudder with the impact of his huge feet. Wolverine snarled and surged to his feet. They weren't getting away from him that easily ……

He had only taken two steps when a sharp crack from the window behind him alerted him to the fact that he was rapidly running out of time. Breaking into a run, he skirted the pool just as Hammer reached the door and barged through. Tech slammed it shut behind him.

It was as if this action was the catalyst to set all other things in motion. Wolverine flinched as a noise like a small dull explosion sounded behind him and, seconds later, all hell broke loose. Water began to pour in through the broken window as, simultaneously, the ocean seemed to rise up through the circular hole in the floor with a fearsome roar, hitting the ceiling and cascading downwards. Wolverine howled as a surge of water swept him off his feet, carrying him unceremoniously to the opposite wall, where he crashed into the shelving secured there. Scuba equipment rained down on him and he swore viciously as an air tank landed on his outstretched hand.

Staggering to his feet, Wolverine was startled to discover that the water already reached his chest. Biting back a growl, he began to wade towards the door, grimly fighting the current, the push of the water against his feet threatening to topple him at every step.

An ominous creak actually made the hackles on the back of his neck stand on end and he turned his head just in time to see the docking crane begin to swing towards him, the long catchment arm dropping downwards as its mountings were forced out of alignment by the surging water. Wolverine made a valiant effort to push out of its way, but the water held him back, making it feel as though he was trying to move through tar. As the crane suddenly broke loose and toppled towards him, he made a last ditch attempt to leap clear, but he was just a fraction of a second too slow and he cried out in pain and shock as a section of the crane connected sharply with the back of his head.

Blood flowing freely from the wound, he gasped as the icy water seemed to jump up and hit him in the face, dragging him beneath the churning surface and chilling his limbs. Head still reeling from the force of the blow, he fought to right himself, not understanding what was keeping him from moving until he realised he was pinned down by the main body of the crane. He twisted violently, slashing at the metal with his claws, desperate to free himself, but his head felt as though he'd just had a steel spike driven through it – his vision was blurred and he felt nauseous and dizzy and he knew he was in danger of passing out. He'd expelled all the air in his lungs when he cried out as the crane hit him and they were already burning from lack of oxygen. His body ached to take in a breath, but he knew if he did that he would be sealing his own doom.

A strange buzzing in his ears and a stilling of the water around him told him that the room was now completely flooded and had equalised with the pressure of the ocean outside. Frantic now, he slashed around him at the metal holding him down, but the icy water was beginning to take its toll and his limbs felt heavy and leaden. The last of his air leaked from his mouth and drifted lazily upwards in tiny bubbles, striving for the surface that was no longer there. Wolverine watched them go, letting his arms fall back as a strange sort of peace fell over him, telling him that it was okay to rest a while, that no one would mind …… Some detached portion of his brain realised he was drowning, but he had no will to save himself any longer. That had been leeched away by the unforgiving waters.

His last thoughts, as his vision faltered and began to turn black, were of Kristi ……

**NEXT: **Vixen seduces an X-Man, with catastrophic results!!


	20. The Vixen's Touch

Hey everyone! Well, I never realised what sort of reaction I would get to the end of the last chapter! Sorry, everyone, but sometimes I get the urge to do a really evil cliffie!

**Logan's Wolverettes: **Thanks, as always, to **Logan's Drover, 12kirby12, Sarra Ambrai, FrozenVoices, Laudine, nileena **and **gambitstalker! **No more evil cliffies, I promise! (Heh, heh!)

And now - onward! Something evil is stirring ...... !

**ooXoo**

**The Vixen's Touch**

…… _Drownin' ……_

…… Icy cold water sliding down into burning lungs, heartbeat speeding up in sudden panic, then slowing …… slowing …… as the body dies ……Arms and legs growing heavy as the frigid temperature takes its toll …… Sparks flash before the eyes, vision blurs, blackness creeps in to steal all awareness ……

…… _Drownin' ……_

…… _Kristi ……_

…… _I'm sorry …… Forgive me ……_

…… _Love …… you ……_

**oooOOOooo**

"Rrrrauggghh!!"

Wolverine's eyes snapped open as the feral howl tore from his throat, muscles standing out on his neck and arms as he fought the restraints keeping him bound, still feeling the dreadful finality of the water filling his lungs, stopping his breath …… drowning him. He twisted this way and that, snarling and baring his teeth, unsheathing his claws in a futile attempt to escape his icy prison …… only to suddenly realise he was no longer trapped under the crane at the moon pool …… no longer living his last moments.

He shook his head, as much to clear it as to push back the red haze that clouded his vision. He was close to going feral again, could feel the beast within him demanding to be set free – testing the confines of its prison – but he couldn't let it have control. If he was to make any sense of why he wasn't lying dead in the flooded moon pool he needed to keep a clear head. If he really had to, he could let the Wolverine out later ……

As he became more aware of his surroundings, he realised he was manacled hand and foot to the wall in what was obviously a lady's bedroom, despite the starkness of the grey metal walls. An expensive Persian rug covered most of the floor and stopped just inches from his feet. He knew it had cost a small fortune because he had one just like it at The Princess Bar in Madripoor. Several items of mahogany furniture dotted the room – an ornate dresser, a full length mirror, a velvet upholstered chaise longue, a bookcase filled with first editions – and, in the center of the wall to his left stood a four-poster bed, complete with burgundy brocade hangings. His fighting jacket lay at the foot, dripping onto the expensive floor covering.

The room's single door was similar to the one he had seen at the moon pool, although some effort had been made to feminise it – a brocade curtain had been fastened above and pulled to the side with a gold tassel – when dropped it would hide the locking mechanism and create some semblance of warmth.

Directly ahead, a single porthole looked out onto the unforgiving ocean, its severity once again masked by drapes. Logan eyed the thickened glass, warily. His last encounter with such a window hadn't ended too well.

Having taken stock of his surroundings, Logan turned his attention to the manacles, testing their strength and finding no weaknesses. To be brutally honest, he wasn't surprised to find himself restrained – he'd woken up so many times in his life to find himself tied down in one way or another that it hardly fazed him anymore. What did surprise him was the fact that he was manacled to the wall in a female's bedroom. What kind of woman kept manacles in her bedroom …… ?

His attention was diverted as the door locking mechanism slowly began to spin and he realised he was about to find out the answer to his question. Intrigued, he tilted his head, keeping his eyes on the door as it slowly swept open and allowed a woman to enter, turning her back on him as she swung the door closed behind her and locked it.

Considering his surroundings, he had expected the room to belong to Blaze or Psyche, but he already knew he had never seen this woman before, although he knew her scent extremely well. He had spent several hours chasing after it in the woods, the night they had all been captured.

She turned from the door then and leaned against it, studying him for a moment with a pair of intense green eyes. Logan glared right back, committing the sight of her to memory, yet knowing he would never be able to forget her no matter how hard he tried. She was beautiful – he'd give her that – but her eyes hinted of hidden depths and there was an air of cruelty around her despite the casual way she reclined against the door, watching him the way a fox would size up a rabbit. Caught in the thrall of her green eyes, Logan had never felt more like prey than he did at that moment.

Having taken her fill of the sight of him, she pushed away from the door, her ankle length burgundy silk skirts rustling around her legs as she picked her way delicately across the carpet, a single slit in the skirt running from hem to thigh giving a tantalising glimpse of a shapely bare leg as she moved. Her breasts heaved over the top of a black leather bustier and Logan found his eyes sliding down her substantial cleavage as she stopped in front of him, placing hands covered with elbow length black lace gloves on her hips and rocking back on one foot, showing a glimpse of a killer heel.

If Logan had met her anywhere else, he would have figured her over-dressed. But here, in the out-of-place luxury of the underwater room with its elaborate furnishings, she seemed to fit right in. Strangely, he was reminded of a character in a vampire movie Jubilee had made him watch with her once – her eyes held the same calculating hardness and, as she leaned forward slightly, he could almost imagine she was going to bite his neck and suck him dry.

"The Wolverine ……" The statement came out in a whisper, but Logan jumped anyway, having completely lost himself in the moment. "I suppose you're wondering why you're here?"

Logan _had_ been wondering, but chose not to answer. Silence was often a means to keeping the upper hand.

"The strong silent type," the woman observed. She turned slightly, looking coyly back at him through a fall of curly chestnut hair. "I like that in a man. Makes them harder to break. And I do love a challenge."

_Break? What the hell …… ?_

"You were saved from a watery grave on my orders, Wolverine. Blizzard didn't want to save you. And Tech? Well, let's just say that Tech would have been happy to let you rot in there after what you did to his arm." She paused, reaching out to run a lace covered finger down his cheek. Logan jerked away and the woman laughed, a soft musical sound that turned his blood to ice. "But I've never turned a feral before. And the boss _did_ owe me a favour. And so ……" She gestured at Logan as if to emphasise her point. "My name is Vixen, by the way," she added, casually.

Logan snorted. "Is that supposed ta impress me?"

Vixen smiled. "So you do speak! But only when it suits you, I suppose. Well, my little feral, if my name doesn't impress you now, it _will _do when I've finished with you, but you'll find out all about that in due course." She twined a lock of his hair around her finger. "Actually, I must admit to being rather impressed with _you,_ myself. I'd heard all about your healing factor, of course. Who hasn't? But by the time Tech came to tell us you'd escaped and flooded the moon pool, you'd already been in there for ……. oh, say, fifteen minutes or so. It took us another twenty minutes to get you out. Needless to say, you were as dead as the proverbial doornail, but five minutes after we hung you up, Psyche picked up brain wave activity. And now, thirty minutes later, here you are, as good as new."

Logan had to admit he was fairly impressed himself, but he wasn't about to say so. He'd always figured that drowning was the one way to take him out completely, but obviously that theory had been blown out of the water, so to speak. It now seemed that as long as he remained _in _the water, he was dead, to all intents and purposes. Take him _out_ of the water, and his healing factor brought him back. So he had learned something new about himself. At least his little adventure in the moon pool hadn't been a complete waste of time then.

Vixen was watching him with narrowed eyes, as if wondering what he was thinking, and Logan couldn't help feeling on his guard. She was chatty, friendly even, but there was that underlying hint of menace that made his hackles rise and he began to growl softly, way down in his throat.

Vixen actually smiled. "Oh, sweetie, don't be scared! I'm not going to hurt you!" She reached out to stroke his hair, soothing him as if he was a nervous puppy, and Logan huffed as he felt a strange pulse rush through him. For a moment, his mind fogged and the growl petered out, leaving him slightly breathless. "I'm not going to hurt you," she repeated, more forcefully this time, drawing back and looking him in the eye. "Not after going to all that trouble to save you. Blizzard had to freeze the entire room, you know." She placed her hands on the wall at either side of his head, her face close to his. "Like this ……" she whispered, in his ear. Logan shivered as once again he felt the pulse reverberate through his body. What the hell was wrong with him? "And then Blaze melted a path through the ice to where you lay. You made quite a mess of our moon pool, you know. The boss isn't pleased at all. It's going to take weeks to put right."

She stepped back and Logan shook his head as it cleared. Was she using some sort of power on him? Why couldn't he think when she was near him?

She folded her arms and pouted, almost looking as though she was waiting for something. Logan wouldn't have been surprised if she had started to tap her foot.

He snorted and shifted impatiently in the restraints. "Look, lady, why don't ya just cut the crap an' get ta business. Ya obviously brought me here fer a reason an' I'm sure it wasn't so ya could talk me ta death."

"No. It was not." Vixen studied him, appraisingly. "Like I said, I've never turned a feral before."

"What the hell's that supposed ta mean?"

"I have the power of seduction, Wolverine." As she spoke, she began to remove her gloves and Logan eyed her hands, warily. "I can make any man do my bidding and totally subvert him to my will. Psyche doesn't think I can turn you, feral. She thinks your will is too strong. But Blizzard doesn't _want _me to succeed. He wants me to fail so that he can kill you. And he will, I can promise you that. He hates you."

"I've noticed," growled Logan.

"So, the thing is, little feral, will you allow yourself to come under my control and thus save your life? Or will you fight me and face Blizzard?"

Logan pulled his lips back in a vicious snarl. "Whadda _you _think, lady?"

Vixen smiled, seductively. "As I said, I do love a challenge." She tossed her gloves carelessly behind her and moved forward, taking hold of Logan's T-shirt. "I don't need to touch skin to skin in order to turn my victims, but it does make the experience more enjoyable. For me, that is." As she finished speaking, she ripped Logan's T-shirt down the front and tore it away from him.

She spread her hands against his chest and Logan gasped as her power surged through him, chilling his mind, insidious tendrils snaking into his brain and fogging his thoughts. Dimly, he was aware that Vixen was making soft sounds of approval as she stroked him, gently tracing the lines of his muscles even as she sent her power coursing through him. "You have a wonderful body, Wolverine. Such a shame to keep it hidden behind all that leather."

He grunted as he felt his presence of mind being slowly taken over by the will of another, and he fought back with everything he had, growling with the effort. The beast within him stirred, howling for release and, for the first time in his life, Logan welcomed it, willingly drawing back the locks of its prison and letting it take over. He heard the woman gasp as she sensed the change in him and he growled warningly. No one had the right to touch him in such a way except his mate. His eyes were dark as he glared at her.

"Lady, get yer fuckin' hands offa me!"

He twisted sideways, dislodging her hands and unsheathing his claws. The manacles, however, were set flush to the wall and his claws were virtually useless, merely serving to illustrate how powerless he was in his current position.

Vixen watched him with an expression of amusement, much like a mother might watch a beloved child having a tantrum. "Have you finished?" she asked, finally.

Logan sucked in a ragged breath. "When I get my hands on ya ……"

Vixen stepped in once more, placing a hand to the side of his face. "But you're not going to get your hands on me, Wolverine. Or your claws." She sent an imperious command from her hand straight into his brain. "Sheath your claws, Wolverine," she ordered. "Sheath them! Now!"

Logan groaned as he fought the command, feeling his will being slowly over-ridden by hers. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead as he forced his mind to focus, resisting the mental impulse that would cause his claws to retract, but it was all to no avail. He could feel his blades sliding slowly back into their housings.

Vixen patted his cheek lovingly as he hung against the restraints, panting heavily. "There, there. Now that wasn't hard, was it? I think that deserves a reward." Convinced that she now had Logan under her control, she leaned in for a kiss.

The moment her lips touched his, Logan bit down savagely into the soft flesh. With a startled yelp, she pulled back, one hand covering her bloodied lip, the other lashing out to slap Logan viciously across the face. His head jerked back and smacked into the metal wall with enough force to make him see stars. The wound he'd sustained when hit by the crane was still tender enough to hurt.

"Animal!" she hissed, wiping the blood from her lip with the back of her hand. Her breasts heaved with the force of her anger. "I had intended to turn you painlessly, but you've just forfeited all right to that privilege."

Logan spat out a mouthful of Vixen's blood. "I'm no stranger ta pain," he rasped. "I've lived with it most a' my life. I will not submit to you, Vixen."

"Then so be it," snapped Vixen. "The better man will win this fight. And I intend to be the better 'man'."

She stepped forward once more and clamped both hands to the sides of Logan's face. Summoning her power, she sent the full force of it straight at the feral.

Logan howled as her will burned into his brain, unconsciously popping his claws and then immediately re-housing them as she ordered him to. Writhing, he strained against both the restraints and her hands, but he couldn't shake her off and gradually his howls gave way to laboured panting. As he hung limply from the restraints, Vixen released him and tucked a finger under his chin, raising his head and forcing him to look at her.

"Kiss me," she ordered.

Logan snarled, bravely marshalling his thoughts. "Go ta hell," he spat.

Vixen tutted. "That's no way to speak to a lady, Wolverine. You'll have to be punished for that."

And she placed her hands against his chest and sent her power forth once more.

This time she held on for longer, biding her time as she sent wave after wave of seductive force into the feral, smiling as his howls gradually subsided, his throat hoarse. As his chest heaved beneath her hands, she tilted her head and cautiously touched her lips to his.

Logan growled lustily as he returned the kiss, craving the touch of the Vixen.

She pulled back, eyeing him warily as he strained towards her, eager to renew the contact. Reaching out, she put a hand to his muscled chest and sent another pulse of her power searing into the feral, biting her lip thoughtfully as his head rolled back and a soft sigh escaped his lips. To all intents and purposes, it seemed as though she had the Wolverine under her control, but she had to be sure. And there was only one way to do that. It was dangerous and, if she was wrong, her team-mates would find her broken and bloody corpse on the floor. But, for the sake of the team, she had to know if she controlled the feral or not.

Leaving her palm resting against his chest, she cautiously reached up with her free hand to the cuff holding his right hand to the wall. He was quiet under her touch, watching her intently with eyes that had darkened to the deepest black. She moistened her lips, nervously, fingers searching for the hidden catch that would release the restraint, but hesitating to do so. She was confident in the use of her powers and no one – no man – had ever been able to resist her. But she had never tried to turn a feral before, and this one had taken more power to subdue than any man before him. If he was just playing possum ……

Taking a deep breath, she snapped the catch on the restraint.

Wolverine growled low in his chest, the force of it vibrating into her hand and up her arm. She swallowed audibly as his hand came down, slipping slowly around her waist and pulling her closer, his dark feral eyes searing into hers and making her breath catch.

He snarled, baring his canines, and Vixen truly thought her time had come …… right before his lips crashed down onto hers.

The better 'man' had won the fight ……

**oooOOOooo**

Psyche opened her eyes, a smug smile touching her lips. "She's got him," she declared, simply.

"Alright!" Blaze punched the air with a fist, glancing across at her brother who was seated on the couch opposite, next to Tech. His face was dark. "Aw, come on, Bliz, this is a good thing, and you know it."

"He's a bloody X-Man!" Tech waved his arm, bandaged from wrist to elbow. "He did this to me! Or have you forgotten already?"

"No one's forgotten what he did to you, Tech, but Vixen deserved her chance to turn him and she's proved herself." Psyche was all cool professionalism. "If she can hold him, he'll be a valuable addition to our cause."

"And if she can't hold him?" asked Blizzard, glowering.

"Then I guess you get your chance to take him out. For good."

Blizzard nodded in satisfaction. "I'll put him back in the flamin' moon pool an' defrost it," he declared. "See how he likes that."

"What about the rest of the X-Men?" asked Blaze, shifting her attention to the tele-empath.

Psyche closed her eyes in concentration for a moment. "They're all free now," she finally announced. "Summers is marshalling his troops."

"How did they bloody well get out in the first place?" demanded Tech, his face worried.

"You tell us, you're the expert," snapped Blizzard, in retaliation. "You said your machine was foolproof, man. Yet we've got the whole team free in our own base an' breathin' down our necks."

"The machine _is_ foolproof. They shouldn't have known their minds were being manipulated, let alone be able to do anything about it."

Psyche held up her hands for peace as Blizzard continued to glare at his team-mate. "There's no point in arguing about it now. The damage is done and we'll just have to make the best of it. Summers is totally oblivious to the fact that he's under my influence anyway and I'm leading him right where I want him."

"Which is?" asked Blaze.

"Here."

Tech looked towards the door, his face a mask of concern.

Psyche smiled. "Don't worry. We've got time yet. Our other captive is slowing them down somewhat. The boss wants us to make our stand here, but I would suggest we all get prepared. Gather whatever weapons you need. Blaze, go and get the others, but leave Vixen alone for the time being. She's …… busy."

Blaze grinned, knowingly, while Blizzard made a show of sticking his finger down his throat.

Psyche smiled round at her team-mates. "Personally, I can't wait until Summers and his little band of troublemakers get here, because the kid gloves are off this time. They're on our turf now, and I intend to seriously kick some ass." She glanced towards the door, as if anticipating the X-Men's arrival. "And I can't wait to see Summers' face when he meets the newest member of our team ……"

**NEXT: **"Kristi, look out!! He's gone feral!!"


	21. Friend or Foe?

Hey everyone! Welcome to another chapter!

**Logan's Wolverettes:** Big, big thanks to **Logan'sDrover, Sarra Ambrai, Laudine, nileena, FrozenVoices **and **12kirby12!** I worship your shiny, gift-wrapped reviews!

No more waffle! Onward ....... !

**ooXoo**

**Friend or Foe?**

The more Scott thought about it, the more concerned he became for Kristi's well being. Roughly an hour earlier, just before setting out from the cryo-chamber, she'd gone into a frenzy, crying bitterly and insisting that something was wrong, but when pressed, unable to say what. Jubilee and Gina had done their best to calm her and even Jean had offered to assist, but she had been waved away by the young firecracker. Now, as they walked through the forbidding corridors of what he now understood to be an underwater base of some kind, she was uncharacteristically quiet. Jubilee and Gina had been joined by Coffey and Hudson and, together, they formed a protective phalanx around her, keeping Kristi close and allowing no one else near. The girls whispered constant encouragement to her, but the blank expression on her face seemed to suggest that she'd gone into shock and he had no idea why. Was it a delayed reaction to the cryo-sleep? Would they all suffer the same fate?

His other concern was the mysterious woman they had reluctantly welcomed into their ranks. Her name was Trudy Marland, she hailed from the British Isles and she had been forcibly abducted from her home one evening by, quote – "a bunch of super-powered morons" – unquote. Any more than that she would not say, but Jean had already ascertained that she was a mutant, with the ability to project images directly into the mind. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was the one who had been feeding them the stimuli for the 'other time', with the machine keeping them all linked together. Its execution was brilliant in its simplicity and Scott was not slow to realise that, if not for the Professor and his suspicions, they would still all be hooked up to it, living out their lives in a meaningless fantasy world. The mere thought made him shudder.

Trudy stomped along at the center of the group, arms folded defiantly, staring daggers at the heads of those in front of her. Despite their innocence, it was obvious that she blamed the X-Men for her current predicament and nothing would appease her. Scott had assured her that they would return her to her home, but she seemed sceptical of that promise and, to be honest, Scott wasn't sure how they would fulfil it. He had no idea where they were, if they could get word to the Beast, or even if the other X-Man was still alive. It was at times like this that being leader of the X-Men was vastly over-rated.

So far, they had encountered no resistance on their journey through the base and Scott was beginning to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Surely someone must be aware of their breakout by now? And where the hell was Wolverine? According to Jean, he'd set off to scout, but they'd heard nothing from him since and, without their comm-links, they were operating blind. He refused to believe that the feral had found a way out and not come back for them – if Jean was to be believed, his relationship with Kristi simply wouldn't allow that. But he couldn't shake the feeling that Wolverine had run into some kind of trouble and he hoped, for Kristi's sake, that he was well. He didn't think his young team-mate would be able to withstand another blow to her already fragile psyche.

He had no idea where they were heading, other than they needed to go up, and so he trusted to his instincts, leading his team through the stark corridors and relying on the telepaths to spot any potential trouble before it got too close. So far, their unique abilities had not picked up any signs of life and that worried him, bringing his thoughts back full circle to Wolverine. What the hell was going on?

He rounded a corner and stopped abruptly, rocking forward a step as Iceman, directly behind, walked into him. The young trainee peered around him, curiously.

"What's wrong?"

Cyclops gestured down the corridor. "Dead end," he announced.

Iceman stepped around his leader for a clear view down the corridor, as the rest of the group came to a ragged halt behind. "It's not a dead end," he pointed out, reasonably. "There's a huge door ……"

"Which probably leads into a room and therefore a dead end," Cyclops finished for him. "We'll have to go back."

He turned to retrace his steps, only to come face to face with Phoenix, who had detached from the group to find out why they had stopped.

"What's the hold-up?" she asked, trying to see around Cyclops to the rest of the corridor.

"Dead end," repeated Cyclops.

"But there's a door," insisted Iceman, pointing helpfully.

"We've been through all this, Bobby." Scott was not used to being questioned and was therefore losing his patience. "We have to go back."

Jean's hand on his chest stopped him from moving off. "Wait a minute, Scott. We've covered every inch of this base on our way here and we've seen no other means of going up. If our path leads through that door, then that's the way we have to go."

Cyclops considered this for a moment and was just about to comment when Trudy stalked towards them from the main group. She flashed Cyclops a glance that would have had him crashing to the floor, dead, if she had been gifted with the power to kill on sight.

"What the hell's going on?" she demanded, crossly. "We're freezing our asses off in this corridor. Are you lost?"

Iceman pointed down the corridor. "There's a door ……" he began, but got no further, as Trudy pushed past and began to walk towards it, determinedly.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" she called back to the obviously stunned X-Men. "An invitation?"

"God help us," muttered Cyclops, as he jogged down the corridor to get in front of her. "As if we haven't got enough trouble ……."

The door had one of the now familiar circular locking mechanisms and Iceman took control of it, spinning it easily in his hands as he sought to open it. He stepped back, pulling the massive door with him, as Cyclops led his team through. They emerged onto a walkway which encircled a vast room several metres below them, roughly rectangular in shape and with many doors punctuating the walls on the lower level. The room was obviously used as a recreation area and boasted several couches and easy chairs, an over-sized plasma television, two pool tables, several over-stuffed bookcases and a large writing desk which currently housed a computer monitor and a stack of discs. An old-fashioned juke box was set against one of the walls. An attempt had been made to conceal the starkness of the room and the floor had been adorned with several mismatched rugs, but the overall effect was startling considering its location.

To the right and left of the walkway, midway between the entry door and where the walls intersected, metal stairs led down to the lower level, and Cyclops headed for the ones on the right, barely having set foot on the first riser when a door at the far end of the room began to open, slowly. He held up a hand to halt his team, advancing several steps ahead of them as his other hand went to his visor, ready to attack should the need arise.

The figure that stepped into the room was instantly recognisable.

"Wolverine!" Cyclops released his visor with a relieved sigh. "Where the hell have you been, man?"

He hurried down the remaining stairs, followed closely by Phoenix and Storm, all eager to welcome their team-mate back into the fold. Behind them, Jubilee took Kristi's hand, urging her towards the railing surrounding the walkway, and pointing down. "Look, Kristi, it's Wolvie! He's okay."

Kristi looked down, her breath hitching in a startled gasp as she uttered the first word she had spoken in hours. "Logan …… ?"

"Sure, Kristi, it's Wolvie! I told you he'd be fine, didn't I?" She waved, attracting the feral's attention. "Hey, Wolvie! We're up here!"

Wolverine's eyes slid towards the two girls, but there was no recognition in their dark depths. He folded his arms, leaning casually against the back of a couch as Cyclops and his small entourage approached. Something about the feral's demeanour set the usually stoic X-Man on edge.

"Wolverine? Are you okay?"

"Never better, Summers. Ya gonna bring the rest o' the guys down?" He inclined his head towards the rest of the team, who were waiting on the walkway.

Something wasn't right. Cyclops beckoned the others down with a wave, but his eyes went to Psylocke and, giving her a barely perceptible nod of the head, he felt her slide into his mind. Seconds later, Gambit twisted and almost fell as he set his foot wrong, prompting Rogue to go to his immediate aid. Armor powered down to fuss with the lace on her sneaker and Coffey and Hudson suddenly found it immensely important to point out the juke box to Gina, somehow managing to impede Trudy as they walked slowly towards the stairs. Cyclops nodded in satisfaction, sending Psylocke his thanks. With the minimum of fuss, she'd neatly segregated the team, leaving the trainees, the injured and the civilians on the walkway to be protected by herself and Rogue should the need arise.

Wolverine seemed to have noticed nothing amiss as the others filed slowly down the stairs to join their leader. Jubilee scampered across the floor, dragging Kristi by the wrist, eager to greet her partner, but was brought up short by Storm, who put a finger to her lips to halt the youngster's protests.

"Hush, child, and wait a moment. Something is not right."

She inclined her head towards Cyclops, who was advancing beyond the line of his team-mates as he approached the feral, his stance betraying his caution.

Wolverine pushed away from the couch, massaging his knuckles, nonchalantly. He raised an eyebrow as Cyclops came to a halt several feet away. "Ya done pussy-footin' around, Summers?"

"Just being careful." Cyclops shrugged and looked around the room, watching the feral out of the corner of his eye. "Did you find a way out?"

"Not yet." Wolverine grinned, wolfishly. "But I found some friends."

Cyclops felt something cold and hard begin to form in the pit of his stomach. "Friends? You mean Hank and the Professor?"

Wolverine snorted. "As if! I'd introduce ya, but I think ya've already met. Ya wanna come out an' show yerselves, guys?"

His voice was pitched towards the door he'd come through and Cyclops took an involuntary step back as Blizzard appeared in the doorway. His hand flew to his visor, but froze when the young mutant wagged a finger at him.

"I'd think carefully before you fire your eyeblasts, Cyclops." He indicated the walkway with a nod of his head. "Do so and Mirage will not live to see another dawn."

Cyclops turned slowly, looking up to see Psylocke and Rogue literally frozen in place. A man he hadn't seen before was holding a weapon to Gina's head. Her eyes were wide and she was clearly terrified.

He took a second to consider his options, then slowly lowered his hand. If anyone but a trainee had been under threat he would have gone for the shot, but he had no desire to risk the young girl's life when bloodshed could be avoided.

Blizzard nodded in satisfaction. "Wise choice." He moved further into the room, stopping just to the right of Wolverine. Behind him, several more figures appeared. Cyclops recognised Psyche, Blaze and Firefly, but there were also a man and a woman he did not know. The woman, dressed like a goth in black and deepest reds, placed herself at Wolverine's left side. He turned his head to growl at her and she grabbed his hair, pulling him to her and crushing her lips to his in a searing kiss. Several X-Men gasped, and Cyclops distinctly heard Kristi whimper.

The woman released Wolverine, but left a hand resting possessively on his arm, glaring triumphantly at the X-Men and ignoring their shocked expressions.

Blizzard laughed into the shocked silence. "Your face is a picture, Cyclops. It's not easy to discover that one of your big hitters is now batting for the other team, is it?"

"In your dreams, buster!" Jubilee stabbed an accusing finger in Blizzard's direction. "Wolvie would never willingly switch sides an' betray his friends!"

"Who said anything about willingly?" Blizzard smiled, smugly, and walked around Wolverine to stand beside the woman in black. "This is Vixen. She has the power of seduction. Ordinarily, the process is simple and painless. Occasionally, however, her victims put up a fight and that, my friends, proves most painful." He paused to let this point sink in. "Vixen has assured me that Wolverine put up quite a fight."

"Oh, Wolvie ……" Jubilee's agonised whisper was loud in the silence following his statement.

"You evil bastard …… !" Cyclops curled his hands into fists at his sides in an effort to stop himself from going for his visor. He looked left, right, taking in the stunned expressions of his team as they came to the awful realisation that, if they went into battle, they would have to face one of their own. Kristi was staring at Wolverine in pained disbelief, and Jubilee and Jean had moved in close to lend support with their presence. The whole situation was rapidly going downhill on a steep and slippery slope.

Unable to stand helplessly by and watch his team crumble around him, Cyclops made a valiant effort to regain the upper hand. "You won't be able to hold Wolverine for long, Blizzard. People have tried, to their ultimate cost. Are you willing to take that risk?"

"We don't intend to hold him for long, Summers." Blizzard folded his arms, nonchalantly, and rocked back on one foot. "Psyche, would you care to elaborate?"

Psyche nodded and stepped forward, importantly. Her voice was hard as she delivered her chilling information. "Wolverine has been conditioned to kill every last one of you, Cyclops, starting with your own fiancée. You will be the last to die, helpless to stop the bloodshed as he rips your people to shreds before your eyes. Afterwards, to save us the trouble, he will turn his claws on himself and rip out his own throat. The bodies will be easy to dispose of down here, in the ocean. I doubt if you'll ever be found."

"The only way to stop him will be to kill him," continued Blizzard, his eyes radiating evil glee. He tossed a thumb in Wildstar's direction. "But consider what slaying him will do to your young team-mate's state of mind. Psyche has long suspected a connection between her and the feral. In the light of recent developments, I think that connection has been proved, don't you?"

"You bastard!" spat Cyclops. "You'll stop at nothing, will you?"

"No," stated Blizzard, simply. "I won't." He inclined his head towards the goth. "Vixen, give the order."

"I'm warning you – don't." Cyclops raised a hand to his visor, fully prepared to unleash hell. This madness had gone on long enough.

Wolverine drew back his lips and snarled at him, and Vixen placed a restraining hand on his bare chest. Despite the red tint his visor bestowed on his world, Cyclops clearly saw the pulse that erupted from her hand into the feral's body, saw the shudder that rippled through him and understood at once. Her conditioning wasn't permanent. Wolverine was fighting it. And that meant they had a chance. A slim one, but a chance nonetheless.

He opened his mind to Phoenix, knowing she would be monitoring his thoughts for her cue to act. Without betraying the slightest hint of emotion, he ordered her to follow his lead, letting her see his hope in the man behind the Wolverine – his conviction that Logan would never allow himself to be controlled, or forced to attack the ones he considered his friends. Or the woman he loved.

Blizzard turned, glancing pointedly at Psyche and the others, and they began to back off, leaving Vixen standing at the fore with Wolverine, who was growling softly. Recognising that something was about to happen, Cyclops braced himself, spreading his legs wide for balance, and hearing a general rustle of movement behind him as his team followed his lead. Whatever happened, they would go down fighting.

Vixen kept her eyes fixed on Cyclops as she slowly leaned towards the feral, defying him to stop her. Her lips brushed Wolverine's ear as, softly and with great deliberation, she whispered a single word.

_Feral_

Cyclops was staring right at Wolverine when it happened – saw his eyes darken to the deepest black and drain of every last shred of humanity that made him a man. Saw his lips draw back and bare his teeth in an animalistic snarl that made the hair stand on end and, too late, Cyclops understood. Blizzard had no need to control Wolverine because he had stripped him of his conscience and turned him loose.

He'd gone feral.

"Back off!" he shouted to the rest of the team, flinging out a restraining arm. "I'll handle him!"

Wolverine launched himself forward in a blur of motion, heading straight for Jean and growling like a madman. Cyclops yelled in warning and triggered his visor, staggering as a small figure barrelled into him, knocking him sideways. His shot went wild, demolishing a chair and catching Wolverine in the side. The blast still held enough force to knock him off his feet and he skidded across the floor on his back, fetching up against the writing desk with a bone-jarring crash.

"Kristi! What the hell do you think you're doing? Get outta the way!" Cyclops staggered to his feet, gesturing wildly, as Kristi ran towards Wolverine, her hands out to show she was no threat to him. "Kristi! He'll kill you!"

Kristi could hear the shouting, but shut it out as she advanced slowly on the snarling creature she barely recognised as her bondmate. The bond fizzed and popped in her head like a badly tuned radio, making her feel dizzy and nauseous, but even that was better than the awful nothingness she had experienced just after liberating the rest of the team from the 'other place'. She had no idea what had happened to cancel out their connection so abruptly, but the shock of it had almost been her undoing. Seeing Wolverine again had slowly brought her back from her walking coma and straight into the realisation that something was terribly wrong with her bondmate. He was snarling, his eyes as black as the darkest night, and Kristi was suddenly reminded of the picture she had seen on her lap-top all those days – weeks? – ago. The picture of the wild-eyed feral that had frightened her so, because she didn't know if the man she had come to love was capable of such ferocity himself. And here was her answer. He was.

Wolverine had risen into a crouch, his claws freed now from their housings and held wide as he glared at the girl approaching him. His lips drew back, exposing his canines, and Kristi stopped, showing him she was no threat, not knowing what to do but realising she had to do something – _anything – _to bring him back to her. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she looked into his wild and completely inhuman eyes. _I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid. _She repeated the mantra to herself in the hope that if she said it often enough, she would believe it.

"Logan, please come back to me. This isn't you ……"

The room around her ceased to exist as she focused entirely on the feral before her, willing him to respond. She was dimly aware that chaos seemed to have erupted – the flyers were in the air, lightening bolts were being hurled down and the air was cold as two ice-blasters came to blows. But, in her head, there was just herself and Wolverine, and the small group of friends who had split off from the main battle to lend their support. Or, in the case of one in particular, to stop Wolverine at any cost.

She flinched slightly as Cyclops' voice cut across the chaos, his tone angry as he sought to clear the way for one of his optic blasts. "Kristi, for god's sake, move!"

She felt, rather than saw, Gina's hurried plunge down the stairs, throwing herself in front of the X-Men's leader as she sought to prevent him from firing. "No, Mr Summers, you can't! They're bonded!"

In her mind's eye, silence fell and time slowed as Gina's words flowed across the battlefield like a tidal wave. She heard Jean's startled gasp – "They're …… they're what? Bonded?" – envisioned Cyclops' anger as he suddenly realised that, by taking down the Wolverine, he would also inadvertently hurt Kristi. Blizzard laughed triumphantly, the mocking sound cruel to Kristi's ears.

"No," she pleaded, inwardly. "Please don't tell them. They shouldn't know ……"

Wolverine howled suddenly, his hands going to his head, writhing as if in pain and Kristi's breath caught in a sob. "Fight it, Logan!" she cried, desperately. "Don't let them control you ……!"

And suddenly there was no time for words – no time for anything but a startled scream as the Wolverine let out an almighty roar and sprang for her throat ……

**NEXT: **Kristi makes the ultimate sacrifice!


	22. Mutation

Hey everybody! So sorry for the evil cliffie last chapter! I promise never to do it again! And if you believe that, you'll believe anything!

**Logan's Wolverettes:** Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter! **nileena, Sarra Ambrai, FrozenVoices, Laudine **and **12kirby12!** Your continued input is gratefully received!

No more waffle! On with the show ...... !

**Mutation**

Kristi screamed shrilly as Wolverine barrelled into her, the cry being cut off abruptly as the breath was knocked out of her by the force of his impact. She hit the ground hard, seeing stars momentarily as her head made acquaintance with the floor, the damage thankfully lessened by the thickness of the rug she had landed on. Squeezing her eyes shut against the pain, she heard Wolverine hit the ground beside her and she cried out as his hands grasped roughly at her hips, pulling her, struggling, across the rug and straddling her on all fours, growling rabidly against her neck.

"Oh my god!" Cyclops darted forward, hand reaching desperately for his visor. "Jean, shield Kristi! I've gotta take the shot! He'll kill her!"

"Scott, no!" Jean flung out a hand, bravely placing herself between her lover and her two team-mates on the ground, shielding them despite the danger to them all. "They're bonded! If you hurt Wolverine, you hurt Kristi."

"We've gotta do something!" Cyclops cast anxiously around the room, barely noticing the chaos that raged around him as the two teams fought for their lives, but it was a tiny frightened voice that managed to penetrate his rapidly whirling thoughts.

"Cyclops?"

He looked towards Kristi, fearing the worst, but seeing her still pinned beneath the feral Wolverine. Her eyes were filled with fear, but her hands were steady as she raised them to push against the feral's rumbling chest.

Cyclops dropped to his knees, putting himself broadside on to Wolverine and giving himself an unimpeded shot. "Kristi, I've gotta do it," he insisted.

"No, please." She moistened dry lips and swallowed, audibly. "I think he's trying to fight the control or he would have killed me by now. I think …… I think I can reach him through our bond. Please. Give me time."

Cyclops nodded, sharply. There wasn't time to consider this. He had to give Kristi the benefit of the doubt. "Alright. But if he looks like he's losing it, I'm taking the shot."

He swivelled slightly on the balls of his feet as Jean stepped nearer. Wolverine caught the movement and snarled in warning, one set of claws coming dangerously close to Kristi's throat.

Cyclops waved a hand. "Back, Jean! Don't set him off!"

With their eyes meeting Kristi's in a last silent plea to keep herself safe, Cyclops and Jean inched away, taking a fretting Jubilee with them. Over Wolverine's shoulder, Kristi glimpsed a glittered corona fall into place around them and realised that Phoenix had shielded them from harm as the two teams battled around them. Truly alone now, Kristi looked into the wild black eyes of the feral hovering above her, heart thumping painfully in fear. It was all up to her now. There was no one else. Just herself and a feral who had been conditioned to treat everyone to a slow and painful death.

His growl rumbled constantly in his chest, vibrating through him and into her own body. His skin felt hot under her hands and she pushed upwards, experimentally, trying to ease the weight of his body, but his growl intensified and he leaned into her, baring his teeth against her face. She felt his claws graze across her throat and she gasped, strangely more worried for his safety than her own. If he killed her, Cyclops would surely kill him in return. He wouldn't have any other choice.

"Logan, please. Listen to me. You are not an animal. You're my bondmate and I …… I love you, Logan. Please, come back to me."

Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, calculated to soothe and penetrate the wildness that fogged his brain. The bond was going crazy in her head, but every so often a blessed moment of lucidity would pierce the static and she realised he was still fighting, still trying to shake off the effects of Vixen's control. She had to get through to him. There was no other option.

She squeaked in shock as his claws suddenly sheathed loudly against her ear, and his hands went to her waist, grasping her firmly as he crawled nearer. With her legs now pinned by his muscular thighs, he reached out to run his fingers through her hair, pulling at the strands roughly. She felt his nose graze across her cheek as he scented her and she whimpered softly, earning herself an annoyed snarl.

"Logan, please. You're hurting me." Her frantic plea fell on deaf ears as his weight pushed her down and, scared, she pushed back, trying to alleviate the pressure, but all to no avail. As one hand squeezed painfully into her side, sudden flash of clarity had her all but reeling in his grasp. He was scenting her like an animal. What if her own fear was setting him off?

Trying to calm the painful pounding of her heart, she pushed back at him with all her might, imbuing her voice with as much anger as she could muster under such circumstances. "Logan, get off me, you big oaf! You're heavy! Get _off!"_

Wolverine reared back in surprise, still straddling her midsection. His hand left her hair to trail across her shoulder and down her ribcage and she twisted under his touch, wriggling to get free. "Logan, move! You're _heavy!"_

Her tactic seemed to be working. At least, he had ceased growling, his head cocked to the side as he studied her, reminding Kristi of a curious spaniel. She placed one hand against his cheek and he snuffled into her palm, his tongue flicking out to taste her. Despite the gravity of the situation, it made her want to giggle, but she knew that would not be wise in case it set off the feral inside him once more.

"Logan?" She stroked his cheek, gently, willing him to respond. "I know you're still in there, Logan. You're not ……"

She jumped as he suddenly threw back his head and howled, a harsh animalistic sound that cut across the battlefield and froze everyone in their tracks. He spread his arms wide, claws springing from their housings as he shook his head like a dog, and then he flung himself forward and down to clamp his teeth around Kristi's throat.

_Oh my god! I'm gonna die!_

Stark naked fear lanced through her like a knife and she cried out as she felt his canines piercing the flesh, drawing blood which ran between his teeth to pool on the floor beside her. The sharp tang seemed to ignite his bloodlust further and he tightened his grip, his tongue lapping at her lifeforce even as he prepared to tear out her throat with his own teeth.

As if from another place, she heard Cyclops' agonised shout, heard the tell-tale crackle of his power building up and, as she felt Jean slide into her mind to protect her from the backlash of Cyclops' strike and the pain Wolverine would suffer, she screamed out mentally with all her might.

_*NO! Don't kill him! Please don't kill him!*_

If she was going to die, then she would die by her bondmate's hands – not from the aftermath of having her bond pre-maturely and violently broken. And she closed her eyes and waited for death, as an image of the dark-eyed feral from her lap-top slid, unbidden, into her mind.

And just like that, she knew what she had to do. Submission. That was the answer.

Gathering all her self control, she pushed Jean forcibly from her mind, simultaneously dropping her shields and opening her mind to her bondmate completely. The static roared in her head, but she ignored it, reaching out to him with every shred of love she held in her heart and praying it would be enough. Against every instinct, she forced herself to go limp in his arms, tilting her head back to bare her throat to his teeth completely and put herself totally at his mercy.

The static faltered once – twice. Kristi puffed out a breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding, feeling Wolverine stir against her. His teeth tightened momentarily, as a growl rumbled against her neck, and she fought the urge to fight him, knowing it would be the last thing she ever did. With her heartbeat roaring in her ears, she whispered a strained final plea ……

"Logan, don't give up. I love you ……"

The bond snapped back to crystal clear clarity so abruptly that her head reeled with the force of it. The pressure on her throat eased as Wolverine pulled back, making a strange sound somewhere between a growl and a whine. With surprising tenderness, he licked the blood from her neck, slipping his hands behind her back to pull her up and against his chest as he sat back on his haunches. Hesitantly, Kristi put her arms around his waist, feeling the heat of him under her hands. His lathing tongue worked its way around to a spot just below her right ear and Kristi tilted her head back to allow him greater access, feeling her body respond to his in a way it never had before. The bond was alive in her head, filling her with love and an overwhelming sense of possession and, as she fisted a hand into her bondmate's silky hair, he breathed into her neck, scenting her, tasting her and letting the essence of her remind him that she was his, body and soul.

"Logan?"

He drew back, his eyes still feral black, but touched now with a remembrance of who he was. "Kris?" His voice was rough, barely more than a growl, but it resonated within her.

"Oh god, Logan, I thought I'd lost you!" She flung her arms around his neck, hugging him close, tears of joy rolling unhindered down her cheeks. He nuzzled into her hair, stroking her back, soothing _her_ now, instead of the other way around, knowing that this young slip of a thing – his bondmate – had dragged him back from the worst of himself and restored his humanity. The rumbling in his chest dropped to a comforting purr as he drank in all the love and reassurance she could project yet, at the same time, realising that something within him had changed – perhaps for the better, perhaps not. Only time would tell.

He pushed her back to look into her tear-stained eyes, one word coming, with stark finality, to his lips.

"Blizzard."

She nodded in understanding and he looked around, seeing the sparkling TK shield still locked in place around them, and he placed his hand flat against it. "Ya wanna let me outta here, Jeannie?"

The shield dropped instantly and he got to his feet, pulling Kristi up with him and rocking back with a grunt as a small duster clad figure crashed into his side, flinging limpet-like arms around his waist and squeezing tightly. With one arm still hooked possessively around his bondmate's waist, he slipped his other around Jubilee's shoulders, claiming his cub and acknowledging her presence with a cat-like rumble, before locking gazes with the green-eyed goddess who stood mere feet away. Behind her, the man he recognised as her mate started forward, his hand held out in greeting.

"Logan, I ……"

Wolverine's body stiffened and a warning growl issued from between clenched teeth as he pushed his bondmate and cub behind him.

Jean understood at once and held out an arm to keep her fiancé – a rival male – back. "He's still feral," she announced, to her stunned lover. "I don't know how, but he's controlling it. It must be the bond ……"

She broke off as Wolverine approached, eyeing Cyclops warily and, wisely, Scott backed off a step or two, goggling at the change in their feral team-mate. He'd always exuded an air of barely repressed rage and wild sexuality, but this …… With his animal side to the fore and yet controlled, he positively radiated murderous intent. He was danger personified.

Wolverine knew he could trust this woman with his life and he gently pushed Kristi and Jubilee towards her. "My lifemate and cub," he growled at her. "Guard them." And then he turned and launched himself into the fray.

"Wolvie …… !" Jubilee made an effort to follow, but found herself being dragged back by Cyclops.

"No, Jubilee! He's not ……" He was about to say 'not human anymore', but a quick glance into Kristi's eyes revealed the feral reflected there. "He doesn't need you," he quickly amended.

The battle around them had become pretty much one-sided as Blizzard's team, reacting in the time-honoured way of all cowardly villains, had retreated to one end of the room, throwing up an ice-shield to protect themselves, from which they launched the occasional half-hearted assault. It was almost as though they were just marking time and waiting for something, but Wolverine had no care for that either way as he launched himself at the ice-shield and began to claw his way through, sending chunks of ice skittering across the floor. He could feel Psyche attempting to slide into his mind, but he pushed her out, his link with his lifemate giving him more strength than he could ever have dreamed possible. She shone in his mind like a fiery beacon, and he wondered how he could ever have thought to hold her at arm's length.

…… Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Mariko Yashida gently kissed his cheek goodbye and slipped quietly away ……

A large chunk of ice cracked and fell away, leaving a crack wide enough for Wolverine to exploit with his claws. He was carving up the wall faster than Blizzard could re-form it, aided by Storm, who was raising the temperature in the room a few degrees, and by Armor, who was beating on the other end of the wall in her armoured form, wisely keeping out of the feral's immediate reach. A beam of optic energy flared between them, followed by a barrage of fireworks, and he recognised Cyclops' and Jubilee's handiwork. A feral grin tugged at his lips as the crack widened.

The wall tumbled suddenly and without warning. Wolverine leapt over the icy ruins, seeking one person and ignoring all others as they scrambled to get out of his way. His team-mates pounced now as the renegade mutants were forced to defend themselves, and he felt Vixen touch his arm as he barrelled past, her power pulsing into him as she sought to renew her control. But linked with his lifemate, he was far too strong for her, and his laugh was chilling as he swept his claws at her in an arc that would have taken her head from her shoulders had she not ducked.

Blizzard threw himself aside as Wolverine dived for him, hurling a chunk of ice and forcing the feral to roll to the side to avoid it. The X-Man came to his feet already moving forward and Blizzard yelled in terror as the Wolverine pounced, his claws flashing in the harsh light from one of Storm's lightening bolts. He barely avoided the feral's charge and, with his adversary's cry of rage echoing loud in his ears, he turned tail and ran, recognising that this was no longer the Wolverine he had taunted and vowed to kill and his fear of the unknown welled up in his throat and made him weak. The Wolverine had the bloodlust in his eyes and Blizzard's only hope of salvation was to flee and find his master, for only _he _could control the feral now and turn his strength against him.

He had almost made it clear across the room to the door that led to safety when the feral tackled him from behind, breaking his stride and bringing them both down in a tangle of arms and legs. Blizzard hit the floor hard, face first, crying out in panic as Wolverine landed on top of him, pinning down his arms and legs with his own limbs and easily resisting the boy's frantic efforts to throw him off. He leaned down low to growl against his neck and Blizzard whimpered in terror as he felt the feral's hot breath on his skin.

"Not so big now, are ya, boy?" Wolverine pulled back a hand, drawing the tips of his claws across the back of the young mutant's neck, hearing the sound of his frantic panting. "Not so big when the feral's breathin' down the back o' your neck, are ya?" He sat back slightly, still keeping the boy pinned, but allowing him to move his head – allowing him to see death coming for him. "Ya twisted my mind, Blizzard. Ya made me attack people I love – my lifemate – my cub. Ya made me inta what I hate the most. An' yer gonna pay."

"You can't touch me, Wolverine!" Blizzard snapped back, fear making his heart pound like a jackhammer, but determined not to betray a weakness to his hated adversary. "You're an X-Man! You have rules! And Xavier won't allow you to kill!"

"Rules?" Wolverine almost purred the word, letting it roll off his tongue. "Ya think Xavier gives _me _commands? Ya got it all wrong, boy. The only rules I obey are mine. An' today, I choose ta relax 'em. Jus' fer you."

And he pulled back his hand and punched his claws into the back of Blizzard's head, feeling the boy go limp beneath him.

"_**Animal!!"**_

The stentorian roar cut across the battlefield like a knife and Wolverine looked up to see a familiar figure striding through the nearest doorway, his cape billowing out behind him like the angel of death. Before Wolverine could react, the newcomer held up a hand imperiously, gesturing left then right and the feral felt his body jerk in response.

"Down!" Cyclops made a grab for Jean and her two charges, dragging them to the floor as Wolverine sailed overhead, crashing heavily into the wall and rebounding off in the opposite direction. He hit the far wall with enough force to shatter every bone in his body had they not been laced with adamantium and hung there, spread-eagled against the metal surface.

"Oh my god!" Cyclops staggered to his feet as Magneto strode to the center of the room, gathering his people around him like wasps around a honey jar.

"When will you people ever learn?" His strong voice carried across the vast space, laced with the tone of a man who was used to being obeyed. He turned to glare at Cyclops, pointing an accusing finger. "You! You and your people could have lived a life of luxury, hurting no one and receiving no ill-will in return. Yet you threw it all away."

"It wasn't real!" Cyclops spat back, bravely taking a step forward. "We'd rather die than live like that!"

"That, my dear boy, can be arranged." Magneto raised a hand, menacingly.

"If that life was so wonderful, then why aren't you and your people living it?" The challenge came from Trudy, who was standing at the top of the stairs, arms akimbo.

Magneto turned to face her. "That was never part of the plan."

"No, I bet it wasn't, ya creep! Kidnap and incarceration, yes, but did you ever stop to think that these people might not want to be part of your fantasy world? No, of course not, 'cause that's not what you people do, right?" She threw her hands up in disgust. "You're nothing but a cowardly hypocrite!"

"How dare you?!" Magneto's face twisted with fury and a couple of his younger minions actually shrank back from his rage. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner – assuming yourself better than I, when one of _my_ people lies dead at the hands of one of _yours."_ He indicated the limp form of Blizzard, the sight reminding him of Wolverine, still spread-eagled against the wall. "And _you! _You have crossed me once too often, Wolverine. You will not have the opportunity to do so again."

He spread his fingers and Wolverine's limbs jerked in response, the metal within them reacting immediately to his wishes and pushing the feral painfully back into the wall. With infinite slowness, he forced the claws out to their full extension, then kept going, pulling them further and further, fully intending to remove them from the feral's body once and for all. Wolverine's face distorted with the pain he was obviously feeling and he grunted involuntarily past clenched teeth, the distended muscles and veins on his neck, arms and chest betraying the effort he was extending in fighting the effects of Magneto's power. Magneto allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction. By all accounts, Wolverine had suffered an immeasurable amount of pain when the adamantium had been forcibly bonded with his skeleton. By forcibly removing it again, Magneto intended to make that moment seem like a walk in the park by comparison.

"Nnnooooo ……!" The agonised cry momentarily distracted him and he glanced sideways to see one of the X-Men drop to one knee, her face contorted with pain, hands clutched to her head. Cyclops flung out a restraining hand. "Magneto, don't! If you hurt Wolverine, you'll hurt Wildstar also!"

Magneto hesitated a moment, intrigued by this possibility. But his desire for revenge was far greater than his desire to investigate this phenomenon. He turned back to torturing the feral. "I care not," he spat back, cruelly. "If she is Wolverine's, then she deserves to die along with him."

With the undisputed cruelty of the Brotherhood's leader ringing in their ears, several X-Men darted forward to bring his barbaric reign to an end, but his cadre immediately closed ranks around him. Blaze created a wall of fire all around them, sweeping sections of it outwards and driving the attackers back, forcing them to take refuge behind a hastily thrown ice-shield.

No one noticed a small figure take a deep breath and straighten, drawing strength and power through a bond that connected her to one of the most strong-willed and belligerent men on the planet – a trait she now shared.

Walking steadily, Kristi moved to the center of the room, embracing her power, her eyes taking on a golden hue as she held it singing within her. Spreading her arms wide, she left the ground, hovering several feet above the combatants and drawing all eyes as her golden corona lit up the room. She could feel her power moving inside her like a living thing and she exulted in this new sense of freedom – of invincibility.

Magneto was watching her like a cat might watch a mouse, his torture of the feral momentarily forgotten, suddenly desiring her power for his own. If Psyche could bend her will to their own ……

"Magneto, your people were welcomed to our home with open arms and shown nothing but kindness, yet you attacked us, kidnapped us and held us against our will." Kristi's voice was hard and laced with anger, nothing like her normal soft, gentle tones. "Even now, when all we want to do is go home, you set team-mate against team-mate – torture my bondmate and threaten to kill us." Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the source of all their pain and suffering. "It ends now."

With the song of the stars roaring in her ears, she embraced as much power as she could safely handle and released it all in a single, explosive pulse, sending it radiating outwards like a giant ripple in a pond. Furniture and equipment was ripped apart on contact with the shimmering manifestation of her fury and Magneto, seeing his downfall reflected in the golden eyes of a girl he had dismissed as unimportant, raised a hand and ripped the juke box from the wall, hurling it towards her like a deadly missile. It disintegrated instantly on contact with the rapidly expanding wall of power, sending crystallized fragments raining down on those below and Magneto screamed as the shimmering wave engulfed him and those who supported him ……

…… In the aftermath of the awesome display of Wildstar's fury, Cyclops turned slowly on the spot, surveying the destruction caused by the starwave that had destroyed everything in its path, taking down the entire Brotherhood team and yet leaving every member of the X-Men and those who stood with them alive and unharmed, albeit stunned and amazed.

And his blood ran cold ……

"Oh my god!" he whispered, his eyes seeking those of his fiancée and seeing his own fear reflected there. "What the hell was that …… ?"

**NEXT: **A way out – and a time for quiet reflection and understanding, as new powers are explored.


	23. More Than Love

Hey, everyone! Another chapter here! And a record! The most reviews I've ever received for a single chapter is seven - but the previous one received eight! A world record for me and I'm truly grateful!

**Logan's Wolverettes: **Thanks to everyone who contributed to my eight reviews last chapter - **sagas. pen, FrozenVoices, nileena, gambitstalker, Laudine, Logan's Drover **and **12kirby12! **And a big 'Hello!' to guest reviewer **Snow leopard freak!**

Not many chapters to go before the big finish, guys! This may be the last chance I get to update before Christmas, so if I don't see y'all before then, have a great Christmas and and a happy New Year! Love and peace to all!

**ooXoo**

**23. More Than Love**

Cyclops turned a full circle in the center of the room, surveying the situation since Wildstar's starwave had swept across it, obliterating everything in its path. The floor was littered with the debris of the furniture that had once stood there, the once proud juke box now a pile of glittering crystallised fragments, yet, despite the destruction, no human had been harmed. True, the entire Brotherhood team had been rendered unconscious by the force of the blast, but the X-Men and their allies had been left unscathed, albeit somewhat shocked by the turn of events. Wildstar's new ability had left everyone reeling, himself included, and rightly so. It wouldn't be the first time a team-mate had manifested a new ability, only for said ability to corrupt its wielder and threaten the existence of the team, if not the entire planet. His own fiancée had once been controlled by a powerful entity called the Phoenix. Freeing her from its influence had been the single most life threatening thing they had ever attempted, pitting them against the alien Shi'Ar and nearly causing the deaths of the entire team. It was an experience he had no desire to repeat with Wildstar.

Thinking of her now made Cyclops' heart jolt painfully. Wildstar. Even her codename hinted at the awe-inspiring potential she held within her, and he shuddered at the implications. Had the name merely been the result of random selection, or was there even now a malevolent entity lurking inside her, gathering power, awaiting its moment to strike?

Scott sighed and looked across the room to where Wolverine was sitting against the wall with Wildstar's head in his lap, absently stroking her hair as he watched over her. Following her starwave, the young mutant had curled in on herself, tumbling to the ground in a dead faint. Wolverine was the first to her side, gathering her into his arms and snarling at anyone else who came near. He had retreated to a quiet spot to watch over her and rest up from his own battle wounds, the only other people he would allow near being Jubilee and the equally weary Gina.

The Brotherhood were down, thanks to Wildstar, but the X-Men weren't without their share of casualties. Psylocke had suffered a nasty burn to one arm while dodging one of Blaze's attacks – Iceman had iced her arm to keep the injury cool, while her own mental abilities were blocking out the worst of the pain. Shadowcat had suffered a sprained ankle after tripping over the edge of a rug – a fact she found most embarrassing – and Coffey was nursing concussion courtesy of Tech's firearm, after being smacked in the head with it while defending Gina. And then there were Wolverine and Wildstar, whose injuries were unknown. There was no telling how Wildstar would react once she regained consciousness and Wolverine, although having successfully sheathed his claws, was still clearly suffering pain in his hands after Magneto's thankfully unsuccessful attempt to forcibly remove them.

But as bad as it had been for the X-Men, it had been infinitely worse for the Brotherhood. Unbidden, Cyclops' eyes strayed to the door behind which they had carried Blizzard's body, laying him on a bed in a room further down the hallway. The young mutant had paid the ultimate price for taking on the X-men. The Wolverine had seen to that. Cyclops didn't condone the killing in any way, but he knew the feral had been out for vengeance and no one in their right mind could have stopped him. And Magneto would have to live with the consequences of it.

A soft footfall attracted his attention and he turned to see Jean walking slowly towards him. She looked tired, dishevelled and cold, her arms hugged around her chest in an attempt to hold in as much body heat as possible. Cyclops had already given her his jacket, but her tiny baby doll nightie was scant protection against the cold metal hallways.

"How's everyone holding up?" he asked, as she joined him.

"As well as can be expected." She stood for a moment, one foot resting on top of the other as she studied her lover's face. "What we all really need is to get out of here, Scott."

"As soon as Rogue and Iceman get back," he assured her. "We can't leave without the Professor and Magneto's bound to have him stashed around here somewhere. He wouldn't have taken him far. He probably intended to put him back in the machine after he'd finished with him."

Jean sighed softly and Scott pulled her into his arms, gently rubbing his hands up and down her back. He felt her arms go around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder, taking strength from his solid presence.

"How could we have not known, Scott?" She tilted her head to look up at him, green eyes filled with sadness. "We have three telepaths on the team. How could this have happened?"

"Psyche was clouding our minds, Jean, it's the only answer." Scott stroked a lock of red hair away from his fiancee's face, twining it around his finger. "She deliberately paved the way for Blizzard to be placed in a position of authority on the elite team and then manoeuvred everyone to keep him there."

"And we wondered why the Professor acted so strangely when Blizzard attacked Wolverine in the garage." She sighed, deeply. "So now we know. All Psyche had to do was control the Professor and watch us all fall right into line with his orders."

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Scott pushed her away from him slightly, so that he could look into her eyes. "We all view the Professor as infallible, yet Psyche was able to control him so easily. What's to stop something like this from ever happening again? What's to stop someone from taking him over and giving us an order that could endanger the team? Or a normal human? Or even the planet?"

"I don't know, Scott, but I really don't want to think about that right now."

"We're gonna have to think about it sometime, Jean."

"I know, Scott, and we will, but right now our priority is to get out of here and find our missing people. And to look out for those that are here with us, feeling lost and confused." She nodded towards Wolverine and Wildstar. "Have you spoken to them yet?"

Scott didn't need to look to know who she was talking about. "No, I haven't. I don't even know if I want to."

"Somebody has to. I imagine that Logan's feeling pretty confused right now, and Kristi's gonna need to know that she has the support of her friends and team-mates when she recovers." Jean ran a hand through her hair before coming to a decision. "I'll go and speak to him, Scott. Logan trusts me."

Scott caught her hand as she made to walk away. "Just be careful, Jean. Logan can be …… unpredictable, when he's on edge."

Jean hesitated, then nodded. Her fiancé only had her safety at heart, but she would never be able to tell him that she trusted Logan implicitly, no matter how unpredictable he could be. Deep down, she knew that the feral would never hurt her.

Logan looked up as she approached and Jean smiled, encouragingly, to show that she only wished to talk. His eyes, although narrowed in suspicion, had returned to their normal brilliant blue and Jean was heartened, knowing that he was no longer feral.

Jubilee and Gina inched away, recognising that she wished to talk privately to their team-mate and leaving room for her to sit beside him. Logan said nothing as she slid down the wall, drawing her legs beneath her in an effort to warm her feet. She glanced at Kristi, relieved to see that she was breathing normally in the feral's lap and taking note of his hand resting protectively on her shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell us?" she asked, softly.

Logan glanced sideways at her, understanding her meaning without it being said. "None o' anyone's business," he growled, in return.

"But we could have helped," Jean insisted. "Being bonded, Logan, it's …… it's not a thing to be taken lightly."

"Ya think we're treatin' it like a joke, Jeannie?" Logan turned slightly, his eyes flashing, darkly. "This ain't some game we're playin' at here, an' me an' Kristi know it."

"Logan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way." Jean reached out to touch his arm, comfortingly. "In all the years I've been with Xavier, I've only ever heard of one other feral to bond a none-feral." She sighed, softly. "What I'm trying to say, Logan, is that this is a big thing for you. We could help you deal with it."

Logan's eyes narrowed. "I'm fine, Jeannie. Quit frettin'. I don't need no help."

"But Kristi does, Logan."

The feral turned, glaring at her, incredulously. "What?"

Jean took a deep breath. She'd started this, now she had to finish it. "Have you ever looked at Kristi, Logan? I mean, really looked? You obviously see your team-mate and the girl you bonded, but have you looked beyond that?" Logan was silent, obviously listening, and Jean took heart to continue. "Kristi may put on a good front, Logan, but try to see things from her point of view. She's young – only twenty one – and she's been with the elite team for …… what? …… three months? She's got a lot to live up to. And on top of all that she suddenly finds herself matebonded to a fellow X-Man – a feral …… a far older and more experienced man. And when I say 'older man', Logan, I mean that literally. Have you ever told her how old you suspect yourself to be?"

"No …… I ……"

"Kristi worships the ground you walk on, Logan. Yet she's scared. Scared of losing you …… of failing you in some way. And yet, most of all, she's scared of herself."

"Wha …… ? I'm not with you, Jean."

"She's young, Logan. She's …… oh, to hell with it, she's a _virgin,_ Logan! And she's just come out of a fantasy world where she was married to you …… had your children. She's experienced love …… and yet, she hasn't. Do you understand?"

Logan looked down at the girl resting in his lap and Jean couldn't fail to notice the tenderness that touched his face. "I'd never hurt her, Jeannie," he growled, warningly.

Jean nodded. "I know you wouldn't, Logan. You proved that today. But you need to be there for her. To help her through this. You share something wonderful and, quite frankly, I'm envious, but you need to work together in order to understand what you've suddenly been gifted with. I assume you have some sort of psychic connection?"

Logan nodded. "Yeah. We share emotions …… feelin's."

Jean sighed, wistfully. "That must be wonderful. And it actually explains some of your actions of late, too. I take it the night Kristi was drunk was actually you?"

"That's a side effect we didn't expect," Logan admitted, ruefully. "I drink, an' she gets the effects. An' the hangover. Probably works the other way around, too."

"Well, if it's any consolation, Scott's face was a picture when she called him Scooter." Jean smiled, and was relieved when Logan grinned back, before moving his hand to unconsciously stroke Kristi's hair. The telepath could practically sense the protectiveness and love radiating from the feral, but there were other, far more risky topics she had to broach.

"This new power of hers, Logan, this …… starwave, for want of a better word. Have you seen it before?"

Logan frowned, shaking his head. "No."

"And you never sensed the potential for it within her?"

Logan shook his head once more. "No. But we were linked at the time. I sensed it buildin'. I knew she was gonna unleash it, but there was nothin' I could do about it. Magneto had me on the wall at the time."

"It was probably seeing him torture you that triggered it," offered Jean, reasonably. "Do you think this new power is connected to you being able to control yourself when you're feral?"

Logan was quiet for a long time and Jean shifted slightly, trying to ease an ache in her knee. She waited silently, giving him time to collect his thoughts and, when he finally turned to her, there was an honesty in his eyes that actually surprised her.

"I can remember everythin' about that time, Jeannie. Even when Vixen controlled me. I knew what I was doin' an' I was fightin' it, but I couldn't stop it. An' then Kris surrendered herself ta me ……" His eyes stared off across the room, re-living the moment in his mind's eye. "We linked an' …… I was still feral, but …… I was controlling it, Jeannie. I've never felt anythin' like it. The power, the strength …… I …..." He broke off, lost for words. "Ya know what I think? I think, when we're linked, that we both have abilities beyond what we have when we're apart."

"Christ, Logan, if that's true ……" Jean stared at him, incredulous.

"Yeah, Jeannie. It means me an' Kristi are more than a match fer any other mutant out there. Together, we're unbeatable ……"

**oooOOOooo**

Not long after, Kristi regained consciousness and Jean moved away to give them both some privacy, rejoining Scott, who was instructing Psylocke in setting up psychic dampeners on Magneto and his team. The Brotherhood were showing signs of coming around and he didn't want them having access to their powers when they did. Psylocke was easily able to slide into their minds while still unconscious and, with Jean's aid, temporarily cut them off from their mutant abilities.

During this procedure, Iceman and Rogue returned, the latter carrying a cold and tired Professor Xavier, who was extremely pleased to see his X-Men alive and at least fairly well. He was immediately surrounded by his team, all eager to hear his story and acquaint him with their own. Scott did the honours and provided a heavily censored version of events to save time, but when he got to the part about Magneto and his Brotherhood being taken down by Kristi's newly acquired starwave, the Professor glanced across at the feral and his bondmate, who had joined the group but remained on the outskirts of it. He studied them intently for a moment or two, prompting Wolverine to growl warningly and draw Kristi closer to his side. The tension was broken when Xavier finally looked away and turned to Rogue.

"Take me to Magneto," he demanded.

Rogue picked him up and carried him over to the Brotherhood, supporting him with an arm around his waist as he studied the defeated mutants standing against the wall. Blaze had been informed her brother was dead and was crying bitterly in Psyche's arms, as Firefly hovered uncertainly nearby, but Magneto and Hammer both wore expressions of hate and distaste as the X-Men gathered around them.

"You never told me why, Erik." Magneto's eyes were drawn unerringly to those of his counterpart as the telepath spoke softly and waited for an answer.

Magneto drew himself up imperiously, wrapping his cloak around himself. "I do not need to explain my actions to you, Charles. I do what I see fit to further our cause, and nothing more."

"He said we were supposed to live out a life of peace," put in Scott, with a scowl. "The way I see it, he just wanted us out of the way while he was free to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world."

"That was never my intention." Magneto glared at Scott, before returning his attention to Xavier. "You want humans and mutants to live in peace. I merely gave you your heart's desire."

"What you did was cruel, Erik, and you know it." Xavier's eyes flashed with restrained anger and Magneto drew back slightly, knowing perfectly well what the telepath was capable of doing to him. Without his helmet, he was dangerously vulnerable. "I will not take revenge – that is not my way, and I believe your team has been punished for their indiscretions sufficiently enough." His gaze flicked to Blaze, and everyone understood his meaning. "However, if you or any of your people come after me or mine ever again, I will not hold back. Do you understand me, Erik?"

Magneto stubbornly remained silent and Hammer's lips drew back in a parody of a snarl, yet Xavier nodded, confidently. He knew Magneto well enough to know that the point had been taken whether the other mutant chose to acknowledge it or not.

"We really ought to be getting out of here, Professor," prompted Scott, stepping forward. "But the Beast and several trainees are missing."

Xavier looked to Magneto, but the other mutant shook his head. "We do not have them," he replied, honestly.

"There's a submersible tethered on the surface," put in Iceman, excitedly. "Me an' Rogue found it on our recon. I bet Cyclops could pilot it easy."

"Then that's our way out," agreed Scott, turning to gather his team. "Alright, people, we're moving out."

"But that's our only way out of here," objected Blaze, through her tears. "If you take the sub, we'll be stranded here."

"That, my dear, is _your_ problem, not ours," responded Xavier, coldly.

Psylocke stepped forward and touched his arm, as Rogue made to carry him away. "Professor, I do not trust them not to come after us and attack when we are vulnerable. May I make preventative measures?"

Xavier considered this, easily divining her intentions and nodding. He turned to Magneto. "Psylocke is going to set up a psychic breaker in your minds. It will only last for twenty four hours, but it will prevent you from accessing your powers or from doing anything to hinder our escape. Attempting to do either will result in extreme pain. Do you understand?"

"That's barbaric!" snapped Psyche, her hands balled into fists at her sides. "You can't do that!"

"Oh, but I can," purred Psylocke, menacingly and, closing her eyes in momentary concentration, she carried out her threat.

"Okay, people, let's move out!" Cyclops began to usher his team into some form of order, but hesitated as Kristi stepped up to stand before Vixen. A hush descended on the team as everyone waited to see what she would do, Wolverine standing by, arms folded and an indulgent smile on his face. His bondmate stared into the other mutant's eyes for a moment or two, before calmly and decisively drawing back her fist and hitting her right between the eyes. There were collective gasps of shock from various X-Men as Vixen slumped to the floor with a startled cry, blood running between her fingers as she held as hand to her face.

"She broke my nose!" she wailed, plaintively. "The bitch broke my nose!"

Kristi stood over her, fists clenched, her whole body trembling with rage. "The next time you decided to seduce a man, make sure it isn't mine, or I'll do more than break your nose," she growled, threateningly.

Vixen jerked back as Wolverine stepped in beside his mate. "Yeah," he snarled. "Ya'd better believe it. And by the way, I want my jacket back ……."

**NEXT: **Re-unions!


	24. Kiss the Past Goodbye

Hey everyone! Welcome to 2010! I hope y'all had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

**Shadows of a Dark Mind **is drawing to a close now - only one more chapter left to relate and then Wolvie an' Wildstar begin a new adventure! I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed updating it!

**Logan's Wolverettes: **Once again, many thanks to my faithful reviewers! **Sarra Ambrai, nileena, FrozenVoices, Laudine **and **12kirby12! **Cheers, guys!

So enough waffling from me! Onward ...... !

**24. Kiss the Past Goodbye**

On the journey up through the levels of Magneto's base, Kristi began to get the strangest feeling that she'd done something terribly wrong. Several of her team-mates, whilst still outwardly friendly, seemed hesitant to speak to her - if forced to put a name to it she would have said they seemed …… scared. Cyclops, especially, appeared reluctant to meet her eye and the situation wasn't helped by the fact that Wolverine growled at him whenever he came near. The team leader eventually took his place at the front of the marching group, leaving Kristi to fret about his strange behaviour in silence.

She knew that Gina had shouted about the bond when Vixen had turned Wolverine feral, and she wondered if it had something to do with that but, when she voiced her fears to Logan, he merely shook his head at her.

"It ain't nothin' ta do with the bond, Kris," her mate replied, softly.

"What then?" Kristi glanced sideways at him when he didn't immediately respond. "Logan, please. What's got everyone so nervous of me?"

Logan sighed, knowing he would have to tell her sooner or later. "It's the new power ya manifested, Kris. It's got everybody skittish."

"My new ……?" You mean the thing everyone's calling my starwave?" Kristi looked at him incredulously as he led the way up a flight of stairs. "But it's part of me, Logan. I can't deny it any more than they can deny _their_ powers."

"I know that, Kris. But there're things ya don't know ……. things in the past …… an' they're probably wonderin' if history's about ta repeat itself."

"What sort of things?"

"I can't go inta details here, Kris. But you an' I need ta talk an' I'll tell ya all about it later."

Kristi nodded, but she still felt troubled, and Logan could feel it through the bond. He eventually took her arm and pulled her closer, sending her pulses of reassurance through the bond and hoping it would be enough until he could talk to her in private. Their bond seemed to have evolved, thanks, in part, to the untimely intervention of Vixen and Magneto and he knew there were things that now needed to be said to his bondmate. Or his lifemate, as his feral side preferred to think of her. He could put it off no longer. With their lives and powers now inextricably linked, their very existence depended on them being able to live with the connection and not go insane.

For a man who had spent most of his life as a loner, the thought of now being connected to another so fully was daunting, to say the least. But he was surprised to realise that he wouldn't have it any other way.

By the time they emerged onto the base's upper level, they were walking together in companionable silence, both deep in thought. Ahead of them, Cyclops halted at a huge pair of metal storm doors, casting about for the locking mechanism and quickly locating it on a panel to the side of the doors. With a final glance towards his team to make sure all were present, he slapped his palm to the panel and stood back as the doors rumbled open.

The sun's morning rays were just sliding over the horizon, casting a pink glow over the ocean. Ahead, a wide walkway connected the main base with a series of platforms that supported various outbuildings and workshops. Below the metal slats of the walkways, the sea moved restlessly.

Iceman pushed through the group and pointed off towards the furthest platform. "The submersible's tethered over there," he announced. "I'll lead the way."

Cyclops nodded and Iceman darted off, pleased with his importance. Rogue lifted off, flying the Professor directly to the sub to spare him the cold journey on foot and Storm followed suit, gaining enough altitude to spot any potential danger. Logan quirked an eyebrow at Kristi, asking without words if she wanted to join the flyers, but she shook her head at him. She felt safer with her mate and she certainly had no wish to draw attention to herself by using her powers.

The sub proved to be large enough to seat eight people comfortably, leaving the rest to squash into the available space. One look at the cramped interior had Storm vowing never to step inside even if her life depended on it, and she took to the skies immediately, letting the open air blow away the feelings of claustrophobia her brief glimpse of the sub's interior had provoked. Rogue settled Xavier into a seat behind Cyclops' command chair and then joined her, the pair of them drifting lazily above the sub as their team-mates embarked.

Logan hung back, ushering Jubilee and Gina aboard and then catching Kristi's eye, gesturing at her to go aloft. She shook her head, afraid of what might be said, but he linked with her, letting her feel his confidence that she could handle herself alone, and also his assurance that he would deal with anyone who spoke against her most vehemently whilst she was not present in the sub with him. She was still reluctant to go, but common sense told her that the more people who could take to the air, the more comfortable it would be for those having to ride the sub and, in the end, she kissed his cheek, embraced her power and took off. Feeling her power rush within her, she almost panicked, fearing a repeat of the starwave that had decimated the Brotherhood but, as the minutes passed and she didn't erupt in a golden blaze of glory, she began to relax and, when Rogue dared her into swooping low without actually touching the waves, she actually took up the challenge. As she began to enjoy being free in the sky once more, she tried to convince herself she was merely passing the time while Scott studied the controls and familiarised himself with their workings so that they could get under way. She thought she had everyone fooled, but she had failed to pull the wool over Storm's eyes. The wind-rider knew exactly how it felt for a flyer to be denied the freedom of the skies.

Kristi could feel Logan's amusement at her antics through the bond and she giggled, sending him a mental kiss on the cheek. He responded with an image so X-rated that she blushed a deep shade of pink, and his mental chuckle had shivers rippling down her spine.

Aboard the sub, Logan couldn't help snorting at his mate's reaction. Cyclops turned in his seat to toss him a quizzical glance, before flipping a switch to activate the GPS system. As the screen cleared, showing their current location, his face lit up with a huge grin.

"Hey, guys, take a look at this! We're saved ……!"

**oooOOOooo**

The air was cold and Kristi pulled her fighting jacket more tightly about herself. The view from the cliff top was spectacular, but she hardly saw it, her eyes turned inward to the barrage of thoughts troubling her, not the least of which was the fact that several of her team-mates now seemed wary of her, thanks to the recent evolution of her mutant ability. Did they think she would turn her starwave on them? That she would bring them down the way she had brought down the Brotherhood? But hadn't she proved she could control it?

Kristi sighed and unzipped her jacket's pockets, sticking her hands inside and kicking angrily at a stone that had the audacity to be lying in front of her foot. Her troubled thoughts weren't helped in the slightest by the knowledge that a team-mate had turned against her friends before, and she wished that Logan hadn't found the time and place to tell her all about the Phoenix entity shortly after their arrival at Muir Island. The possibility that her team-mates expected her to go mad and tear up the planet was eating at her soul and she felt lost and alone. All she wanted to do at this moment was go home, and suddenly the yearning to fall into her mother's arms and feel the assurance of her family's love around her was so strong she could almost taste it.

It surely couldn't be much longer before Henry picked them all up with the jet? She remembered the sense of elation that had swept around the sub with the realisation that Magneto's base was situated in the North Sea, almost within shouting distance of Muir Island and the research facility situated there belonging to a long-time associate of the X-Men, one Moira MacTaggert. The sub's radio system wasn't strong enough to reach Westchester, but it was perfectly capable of reaching the island and, by the time they arrived there, tired, hungry and cold, Moira was waiting for them with hot drinks and clean clothes, and the assurance that she had contacted the Beast and that he was on his way to get them. The revelation that the Beast was alive and well, along with their missing trainees, had taken a huge load off everyone's minds but now, the wait while he crossed the Atlantic was giving Kristi plenty of time to wallow in her insecurities. Taking the first opportunity available to her, she had escaped the company of her team-mates, quickly finding her way out of the research facility and out to the seclusion of the cliff top hoping that, by the time Logan found her, as he inevitably would, she would have her thoughts and feelings in some form of order. The way things were progressing, it seemed as though this would be highly unlikely.

Judging by the intensity of her mate's thoughts, Logan was definitely looking for her, so she wasn't surprised to see him stalk out of the main entrance of the research facility just moments later. From her vantage point, she watched him sniff the air, scenting for her, then turn and begin to stalk resolutely up the hill towards her. She turned back to the sea, tasting the salty spray on her lips.

"What ya doin' out here, Kris?"

Logan's rich tones behind her almost made her turn around, but she stubbornly kept her place. "I needed some peace and quiet," she told him. "I've got a lot to think about."

She sensed him shuffling behind her, and she could imagine the quizzical expression on his face as he compared her words with what the bond was telling him.

"Yer hidin'," he suddenly accused her. A moment's pause, then: "God-dammit, Kris, does that include from me, too?"

"Well, what did you expect, Logan?" Kristi spun to face him now, her eyes flashing with hurt and anger, and the feral actually took a step back. "Half my team-mates seem to think I'm some sort of monster. And you …… you ……" She threw her hands up in disgust, unable to find the words.

"What about me?" Logan stepped forward so fast he took her by surprise, capturing her hands with his. "What have _I_ done?"

"You still can't see it, can you?" Kristi stared back at him, defiantly, her eyes stinging with the tears she refused to let fall. "Even with the bond connecting us 24/7, you can't see what you're doing to me."

She tried to pull her hands from his – "Let go!" – but Logan held on, easing her gently into a full embrace, which she struggled to escape from. "Calm down, Kris! What the hell's the matter with you?"

Her answer surprised him. "I'm tired, Logan." She made one more attempt to pull free and then fell still in his arms. "I'm tired of trying to get you to notice me. Tired of struggling on my own to make sense of what's happened to me …… to us. The bond is both of us, Logan …… not me …… not you …… us. I know you love me, I can feel it, but you keep turning me away. And I know you said you needed time to come to terms with Mariko's death, but I can't keep trying to compete with her memory. I'm not being cruel, Logan, honestly I'm not, but for better or for worse we're bonded now and I need to know that you're gonna be …… mmpfh!"

Her tirade was forcibly cut short as Logan's lips crashed down hard onto hers, shocking her with their intensity. His arms tightened around her and she made a half-hearted attempt to break free, her hands balling into fists and pressing against his chest as she pushed against him. But then his tongue forced its way between her lips and she whimpered into his mouth as he mercilessly plundered her from within.

Her knees were weak when he finally broke the kiss and pulled back, and she knew she would have fallen if his arms hadn't been around her. Sensing the flush on her cheeks, she looked up into his eyes, seeing them darken to almost feral black and she bit her lower lip, nervously, realising that something had just changed between them. "Oh god ……"

"I said we needed ta talk, Kris, why didn't ya wait fer me?" Logan leaned into her slightly, his voice rough and predatory. "I know I haven't done right by ya, but things have changed now. Ya gotta believe me."

Kristi sighed against his chest. "Have they, Logan? How can I be sure?"

He pushed her back slightly, holding her at arm's length so that he could look into her eyes. "Tell me what ya remember, Kris. Of the 'other time'."

"What I remember?" Kristi turned, looking out over the sea, hearing it churning against the rocks far below. The horizon blurred as her eyes filled with tears. "I remember the day you proposed to me, Logan. We were out by the lake, standing under that big tree by the boathouse. I remember it was chilly and I hadn't taken a jacket because I wanted to show off my new top, and you hugged me to keep me warm. And then you asked me to marry you. It was the happiest day of my life."

She jumped as Logan stepped up behind her, enfolding her in his muscular arms. His breath was warm against her neck as he took up the story. "I remember the day the twins were born. Ya'd been in labour for eight hours – you were tired, cranky an' sweaty, but ya looked so beautiful. An' when Henry placed the babies in my arms, ya made me the proudest man on earth." He paused, his arms tightening around his mate. "An' now they're gone ……" he finished, sadly.

"Oh, Logan, I had no idea ……" Kristi swivelled in his embrace, putting up a hand to cup his cheek. To hear herself described as 'beautiful' following eight hours of child birth was overwhelming, to say the least. "I'm so sorry! I never even thought that it would affect you, too."

"Don't ya dare apologise! Not ta me!" Logan took her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. "If anyone is ta blame fer this, it's Magneto an' his band o' losers. They knew what they were doin' was wrong, yet they went ahead an' did it anyway. Strange thing is, I can't find it in me ta hate 'em fer it. I probably should …… that machine gave us somethin' that I've strived fer all my life an' it wasn't real. It was a fantasy …… a lie. A lie that I can't help feelin' had the ring o' truth about it."

Kristi frowned up at him. "What do you mean?"

Logan hesitated a moment, resting his chin on the top of Kristi's head and gazing out to sea. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and determined, and filled with such honesty that tears welled up in Kristi's eyes.

"When Vixen turned me feral, all I wanted to do was kill. Alla ya. No exceptions. An' then ya threw yerself at Scott ta save me from his optic blast an' …… somethin' changed. Somethin' deep inside ……"

"What was it?" asked Kristi, spellbound by his tone.

Logan shook his head. "I dunno. But when I had my teeth at yer throat an' ya offered yerself ta me in complete submission, I knew that I'd finally found the last piece o' the puzzle. That's what I wanted ta talk ta ya about, Kris. I asked ya ta wait until I'd come ta terms with losin' Mariko, but …… she's gone, Kris. Fer the first time since we bonded, my mind is clear. I know what I want. An' it's you, Kris …… only you."

Kristi's mouth fell open as the import of what her mate was telling her finally dawned. He chuckled, tucked a finger under her chin and closed it again with a click. "I know I ain't treated ya right, Kris, an' it took Magneto pinnin' me to a wall an' threatenin' ta tear my claws out ta make me finally come ta my senses. We're bonded, yes, but it's more than that now, Kris. We're joined body an' soul by somethin' neither of us understand, but which can't be denied. It may reach further than that – we may be joined at a cellular level, I dunno, but I _am_ sure o' one thing an' it's been screamin' in my head since ya brought me outta my berserker rage …… yer mine, Kristi Marsters. Always have been. Always will be."

"I ……" Kristi's heart was beating wildly and she was certain her mate could hear it. "Oh my god, Logan , I ……" She was totally lost for words.

Logan quirked an eyebrow. "Maybe ya oughta just shut up an' kiss me," he suggested.

Kristi was only too happy to comply, tilting her head back and eagerly accepting her mate's lips on hers. Their kiss this time was gentle and undemanding, yet full of passion, and the bond sang within them both as they finally accepted their connection and gave themselves fully to their respective mate. Logan allowed Kristi to take the lead and, when her tongue nudged hesitantly against his lips, he granted her access, feeling her shiver as their tongues met, and groaning softly himself in return. Having accepted his mate, he felt complete for the first time in years and he gathered all the love, hope and desire he felt for Kristi and sent it down the bond to her. The pulse of pure love and devotion he received in return almost knocked him off his feet.

He broke the kiss with some reluctance, pulling her against him and trapping her cold hands to his chest. She snuggled closer, resting her head on his shoulder with a soft sigh, and he snuffled his nose into her hair, breathing deeply of her unique scent, sensing it inextricably weave with his and knowing he would never get enough of it as long as he lived.

"It ain't gonna be easy, Kris," he told her, as his eyes roved the faraway horizon, searching for the jet and the Beast, who's arrival he knew would break the moment. "The others know about us now, an' Henry ain't gonna rest until he's poked an' prodded an' found out how this thing works. But we're together now in more ways than one, an' we'll work it out. We'll be okay."

Kristi knew he was referring to their new abilities and she tilted her head to look up at him. "Will we ever know all the answers, Logan? There's just so much to consider. Can I always access the starwave or only when we're linked? Will you always go feral? And be able to control it?"

Logan frowned and stepped away from her. "Only one way ta find out, darlin'."

"What do you mean?"

"Impromptu Danger Room session." He gestured around the cliff top. "We're alone here. No one ta hurt if anythin' goes wrong. So let's use the time an' place ta find out how these new abilities o' ours tick."

Kristi looked back at him with a certain amount of uncertainty. "Here? Without supervision?"

"We don't need none, Kris. These are _our_ abilities. No one can help us with this, we gotta test the waters alone. Now, I'm guessin' that they only work when we're linked an' when we want 'em to. I linked with ya this mornin' an' I didn't go feral, did I?"

"And I didn't start blasting everything in sight." Kristi brightened considerably as she realised her new ability may not be as dangerous as she first thought. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

"First off, try ta generate a starwave without bein' linked." Logan placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her so that she was facing out to sea. "Send it that way, Kris, so that no one gets hurt if I'm wrong."

"Okay." Trusting in her mate implicitly, Kristi embraced her power and braced herself as Logan stood back to give her room, folding his arms across his chest and awaiting the outcome of their test. With her power singing within her and her golden corona glittering around her body, Kristi pushed out her hands and tried to summon her starwave, striving for the sense of completeness she'd achieved while battling Magneto. But try as she might, she couldn't harness the wave and when she felt her body reach the limit of the amount of power she could safely channel, she released her hold on it and turned to face her mate.

"Nothing," she said, softly. She wasn't sure whether to be pleased or not.

"Okay, so now we link." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he opened the connection between them and she gasped as she felt the full essence of her mate sliding into her mind, closing her eyes momentarily against the rush. When she opened them again, she once again had the unique double vision which allowed her to see herself through his eyes, even as the ability was reversed.

"Try again," he advised, nodding towards the sea.

This time when Kristi embraced her power, she knew immediately that something had changed. Her power flowed within her like liquid fire, her corona shining so brightly that Logan actually put up a hand to shield his eyes. Her body quickly reached its power limit and surpassed it and, when she finally let go, her starwave pulsed from her body in a rippling shimmer, flowing out to sea and dissipating harmlessly several miles from the coastline.

She powered down and turned to Logan, her face aglow. "Wow!"

Logan looked smug. "I said ya'd be able to control it, didn't I? How d'ya feel?"

"I feel great!" Kristi was smiling warmly as she paced back towards him. Her corona glittered around her hand as she placed it to his cheek. "Your turn," she whispered, softly.

His hand covered hers. "Ya sure, Kris? This could be dangerous."

"We have to know, Logan. The others will always be wary of us if we don't prove we can control ourselves. I couldn't live with that."

Logan nodded, hesitantly. "All fer one, an' one fer all, huh? Okay, I'll give this a try. But stand away from me." He pushed her gently aside. "If somethin' goes wrong, Kris, you take off an' get away from here. Warn the others not to come out here until I've got myself under control again."

"Nothing will go wrong, Logan," replied Kristi, confidently. "The bond wouldn't have given us these abilities if they couldn't be controlled."

"Good point," agreed Logan, with a nod. "Who died an' made you a philosopher?"

"Cold heart of reason," smiled Kristi, in return. "Nothing will go wrong, Logan. I'm sure of it."

"Easy fer you ta say." Logan licked his lips, nervously. "I've never willingly tried ta go feral before. It's always happened accidental like."

"You can do it," Kristi assured him.

"Yeah." Logan closed his eyes, seeming to relax, but Kristi could feel him reaching deep down within himself, releasing the seals that bound the beast within its prison. For a long time, nothing happened and she began to wonder if her mate's fear of the beast would prevent him from truly letting go. But then she felt his thoughts changing, becoming more bestial as his feral side became dominant. His shoulders began to hunch and his face turned hard, his lips curling back to reveal his canines. Then suddenly he threw back his head and howled, the bloodcurdling sound making Kristi's skin prickle. With a sharp flick of his wrists, his claws unsheathed.

"Logan?" Kristi took a timid step back as her mate turned to face her and she gasped, seeing no recognition in his black eyes. Logan was gone. The Wolverine was now in control. And Kristi's heart leapt in fear.

He took a step towards her, claws raised, a growl rumbling in his chest and she frantically sent a pulse of everything she felt for him rushing through the bond, belatedly realising that they should have talked this through more fully. Was his control down to her, or was it something only he could achieve? The Wolverine was free and obviously out for blood and she hadn't a clue what to do about it.

She squeaked as his claws suddenly retracted and then he was reaching for her, pulling her to him before she could even think of taking off and she panicked as she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"Lifemate," he growled, roughly, into her ear, and he scented lower, lathing her neck with his tongue, sending shivers down her spine.

He was in control! She could feel the change through the bond – he was still feral, but the man was dominant, not the beast. His power pulsed through her, alive and free, and she shivered with the intensity of it, knowing it was the same for him too. As he traced her jaw-line with tiny, pulse shattering kisses, she fearlessly tilted her head back, allowing him access to her throat and showing complete submission to her mate.

She felt his teeth graze her skin, gently, demonstrating his dominance, and then he pulled back, allowing her to straighten and look back at him. Her breath caught in her throat as the full impact of his feral side was revealed to her – he was magnificent, his body practically oozing sexuality and animal magnetism, his eyes two pools of smouldering blackness.

"Logan?" she whispered, pressing a tentative hand to his chest.

"Lifemate," he acknowledged, his voice deeper and rougher than she was used to, but laced with love and adoration and ……. something more. Was it …… feral lust? "Kiss me," he demanded, expecting nothing but obedience from his mate.

She did so, willingly, allowing him to tip her body back as he devoured her fully with both his mouth and his senses. His power soared within her and, as she slipped her hands into his hair, earning herself a lusty growl, her glittering corona flashed around them both, uniting them in power and spirit.

The feral bonding was complete ……

**NEXT: **Beast arrives, new accomplices are revealed and ……. enter Wolvstar!!


	25. All Under Control

Hey everybody! Well, here it is - the final chapter! I feel kinda sad that this story is ending, but also excited, because it means that a new one is about to start! And I've got huge plans for the next one - stick around for further developments!

**Logan's Wolverettes: **Once again, my heartfelt thanks to all of you who took the time to review the last chapter! Major kudos to **Sarra Ambrai, x-menfan1000, Midwich Cuckoo, Laudine, nileena, 12kirby12 **and **Frozen Voices!**

And so - *sniffle* - without further ado, the final chapter awaits ...... !!

**25. All Under Control**

"We're nearly there."

The Beast glanced sideways at his companion as he adjusted the Blackbird's altitude slightly, favouring her with a toothy smile. "You may wish to buckle up in preparation for our imminent landing."

His co-pilot, so called only because she was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, hurried to fasten her seat-belt before looking forward once more out of the cockpit window, watching eagerly as the small Scottish isle grew steadily larger as they sped towards it. There was someone on that island whom she cared for deeply, despite a relatively short acquaintance, and she desperately needed to find out if he had survived being drawn into the X-Men's hectic world relatively intact. Not many people did, and she knew this from first hand experience. Most simply learned to accept it. Friendship with the X-Men usually led to mayhem, confusion and the occasional kidnapping instigated by the bad guy, and a none-powered person's sanity could be severely tested if not prepared for this. Some couldn't cope and ended the friendship, getting as far away from the team as physically possible. Others paid for their friendship with the ultimate sacrifice and it was for this reason alone that she had avoided making herself known to the band of so-called outlaws. Forever drawn to their presence, yet unwilling to reveal herself, she had remained close, watching …… waiting …… until the dark haired stranger had entered her life, rekindling her desire for company. She had hoped she would have more time to get to know him before revealing her true nature, but recent developments had taken that choice away from her. Now, for good or for bad, she was left with only one option. If she was as sure of his attraction for her as she was of her own attraction for him, the sacrifice would have to be made. It was the only way.

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly realised they were flying directly over the island, heading for the runway at the rear of the facility. Beast expertly angled the jet around, giving a perfect 360 degree view of the entire island, before losing altitude to bring the Blackbird down into a flawless landing. There was barely a jolt as the wheels touched the tarmac.

Cutting the engines, Beast glanced at his companion, noting the way her teeth worried nervously at her lower lip. He reached out to pat her tiny hand with his huge, blue furred one. "Try not to fret, my dear, I am sure everyone will be most understanding." His clawed fingers deftly toggled a couple of switches with a grace that belied their size. "To be honest, I am more concerned with their ability to overwhelm the unwary rather than with their acceptance of you. The team do tend to be rather boisterous at times like this. Of course, they mean well, but they forget that their combined presence can be somewhat overpowering to the uninitiated." He considered a moment, taking off his tiny glasses and twirling them thoughtfully in his fingers. "Perhaps it would be best if you stood back until they've blown off some steam, before making your presence known?"

She smiled, gratefully. "I'll do that, Henry. Thanks."

"I am rather looking forward to announcing this particular surprise," he admitted, with a childlike grin. "It is not often I am afforded the chance to deliver glad tidings and I find myself quite dizzy with the anticipation."

A soft snore coming from the chair directly behind him diverted his attention and he smiled indulgently at the creature curled there, seemingly sound asleep.

Yes, for once, he was the bearer of much good news and this time there was no way he was going to be upstaged …….

**oooOOOooo**

News of the Blackbird's arrival spread quickly, thanks, in part, to Jubilee, who had been on jet-watch for the better part of the morning, stationing herself at the cafeteria window, which gave an unimpeded view of the coastline and the 'plane's proposed flight path.

As the sleek aircraft thundered overhead, heading for the runway, Cyclops began marshalling his team, assuring Jubilee that no, they would not take off until Wolverine and Wildstar had returned from wherever they had taken themselves off to, and then seeking out Moira to let her know they were due to depart. She and the Professor had sequestered themselves away in her private office to catch up on old times over cups of rich coffee laced with a generous splash of brandy to lift the spirits. Newly fitted out with a spare wheelchair Moira kept at the facility for emergencies, the Professor had enjoyed passing the time with his former associate and, if circumstances had been different, would have been eager to extend the visit. But the needs of his X-men took precedence over his personal wishes and so, when Scott appeared at the office door to let him know that Henry had arrived, he made his excuses and allowed Scott to lead him out to the rear of the facility, where they joined the general throng heading for the runway. They were accompanied by Moira, who wished to wave them off, and by a number of curious employees, who still couldn't believe they had the legendary X-Men in their midst.

Beast was waiting for them at the bottom of the Blackbird's ramp and he opened his arms wide in greeting, showing his teeth in a beaming smile. "My friends! It is good to see you all again!"

He thumped Cyclops companionably on the back and then pulled Jean into a hug that almost lifted her off her feet.

"We thought we'd lost you," she whispered into his ear, somewhat breathlessly.

"No chance of that, Jean," he responded mysteriously, pushing her back so that he could look into her eyes. "I had a guardian angel."

As both Jean and Scott stared back at him in some confusion, he laughed and draped an arm around their shoulders, leading them up into the jet. "Come! I will tell all, once everyone is safely aboard!"

There weren't going to be enough seats aboard the jet for everyone – it had been designed to carry the team, not the team plus trainees and allies – but standing was safe enough as long as the aircraft didn't have to go into evasive maneuvers, and there were a number of fold-out seats in the rear of the craft that could also be utilised. However, for once, there was no rush to get the 'good seats' – as Jubilee so delicately put it – as everyone wanted to make themselves known to Henry and he was immediately surrounded by his team-mates and friends, all eager to pound his back or give him a hug. It was only when Shadowcat pulled back from planting a kiss on Henry's furry cheek and turned to find a seat that she noticed the small creature with whirling eyes watching her intently from the back of a chair and she let out a shriek that had Henry wincing and covering his ears.

"Lockheed!"

The little dragon rose into the air with a flap of his wings and draped himself around Kitty's shoulders, clinging to her hair and coo-ing into her ear as she patted him and cried tears of joy.

"Oh, Lockheed, I thought I'd lost you," she sobbed, helplessly, as the others watched the touching scene. Normally, dragon and handler were un-separable, the two having become firm friends after the little dragon had saved Kitty's life when she was separated from the rest of the team during one of their frequent trips off-world to assist the Shi-Ar. On their return to Earth, the dragon couldn't bear to be separated from his new friend and had stowed away, eventually emerging to announce his presence to an astounded and obviously delighted Kitty. Of course, the Professor could hardly recall the Shi-Ar just to return a tiny dragon to his homeworld and so Kitty had been allowed to keep him, naming him Lockheed, after their jet. The two often fought side by side as a unit – the little dragon was a formidable opponent despite his diminutive size – but it was during their battle with Hammer and Blaze on the night of the take-down that Kitty had seen her pet blasted out of a second storey window by one of Blaze's firebolts. She had presumed him seriously injured, perhaps dead, and the sight of the little dragon now had robbed her of all coherent thought save for that of seeing Lockheed alive and well. Sinking into a seat, she sobbed and checked him for any sign of injury, while Lockheed pulled her hair with his little paws and coo-ed his assurance that he was indeed in one piece.

"Belle and I found Lockheed wandering the grounds in search of Kitty in the aftermath of the battle," Henry announced to the group at large. "He was understandably distraught."

"What? Wait a minute …… Belle?" Cyclops shook his head and frowned in confusion.

Henry smiled, sheepishly. "Oh dear. I hadn't intended to reveal the surprise so soon. Still, no matter." He turned towards the front of the craft. "Perhaps you would like to introduce yourself, my dear?"

All eyes turned forward, as the co-pilot seat swivelled around to reveal a slim auburn-haired beauty. She smiled shyly at the team. "Hello, everyone. I'm Belle. Belle Valenti."

"Belle?" Coffey pushed forward, his forehead creased into a confused frown. "I don't understand ……"

"Belle is a mutant," explained Henry, recapturing everyone's attention. "It was she who helped me to escape from Blizzard's team, by creating a duplicate of me and conditioning it to lead the villains a merry dance. By the time it had dissipated, Belle and I had backtracked to the mansion, but we were too late, unfortunately, to save anyone else, apart from Lockheed. The rest, you already know. We've been searching for you all ever since – without much luck, I might add, until we heard from Moira. And here we are!"

Cyclops had been nodding thoughtfully throughout Henry's little speech and he now turned to Belle as the light finally dawned. "Wait a minute! It was you who telephoned to warn us of the attack that night, wasn't it?"

Belle nodded, slowly. "Yes, it was. I saw Mark and Rik get attacked in the parking lot at Harry's, but I couldn't do anything to stop it. So I rang the mansion, but the phone lines went dead and I knew you were all in terrible danger. So I drove there as fast as I could, but I was still too late to save anyone but the Beast. If my car wasn't such a mule, I might have arrived in time to make a difference."

"Or you might have arrived in time to be taken down with the rest of us." Jean patted Belle's arm, kindly. "But your heart was in the right place and that's what counts."

"But why didn't you tell us? About being a mutant, I mean?" Coffey ran a hand through his hair, his expression plaintive.

"Because I want to live a normal life. Or as normal as possible, considering that I can make perfect duplicates of anything I touch." Belle glanced at the Professor, her eyes full of sorrow. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I knew if you found out what I can do, you would want to recruit me for your team, and I don't want to be an X-Man. I don't want to go galavanting off to save the world, or whatever it is that you do on a regular basis. I just want my little flat, a job that pays enough money to get by, and ……" she looked shyly at Coffey, "…… eventually I'd like to fall in love and have babies."

Xavier cleared his throat into the silence resulting from Belle's announcement. "Much as I am intrigued with your mutant ability, Miss Valenti, I would like to assure you that I never recruit anyone to my team against their will. Had you seen fit to entrust us with your secret ……" He broke off as Psylocke nudged his arm and he looked up, inquiringly.

"I don't think she's listening, Professor," she smiled, good-naturedly, nodding towards Belle and the person towards whom all her attention was riveted.

Coffey reached out to take her hand, pulling her into a loose embrace. "I think we need to talk," he announced, huskily, and led her to the rear of the craft to find some privacy, guiding her gently with a hand to the small of her back.

Hudson watched them go, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "Looks like Rik's joined the ranks of the happily attached," he declared, humourously.

A shout from the front of the plane diverted everyone's attention from the subject of Richard Coffey's impending love life. Armor was pointing out of the cockpit window. "Heads up, everybody! Wolverine's coming!"

"Well, it's about time!" Jubilee snorted and leaned over the chair next to Armor, her eyes following her partner as he loped down the hill towards the runway. "Where the hell has he been?"

"Probably off smooching with Kristi somewhere." Gina added her two cent's worth as she joined the girls at the window, frowning as she noticed the flaw in her logic. "No, wait, Kristi's not with him. And he's moving kinda funny ……"

"What?" Scott pushed between them, his visor flashing as he stared at the oncoming X-Man, noting the set of his shoulders and the fluid way he seemed to flow from one movement to the next. He straightened in alarm. "Christ! He's gone feral again! Nobody move! I'll take care of this."

"Scott, no!" Jean made a grab for her fiance's arm as he stalked past, but he skilfully evaded her grasp, leaving her staring at his back. "Scott, it's alright, nothing's wrong."

He gave no indication of having heard her and she hurried after him, dragging Jubilee and Gina in her wake. Others would have followed, but Xavier managed to block the aisle with his chair and he led the way out, halting half way down the ramp with the others ranged behind him, as Scott and Jean progressed to the bottom. All eyes fixed on Wolverine as he loped across the runway.

Wolverine raised his head as he approached, quickly scenting the air and sorting through the information he was receiving. From Jean and Jubilee, he sensed nothing but trust. Cyclops was tense and determined, having clicked into full-on leader mode. He obviously felt he had need to protect the rest of the team and, while one part of him couldn't help but feel impressed that the other X-Man would willingly lay down his life for his team-mates, Wolverine also couldn't deny the surge of anger he felt towards the other Alpha Male. Despite holding his feral nature in check, Wolverine ached to prove his superiority and dominance, and only his control was belaying that. Attacking Scott now would undo everything he and Kristi sought to prove.

Across the runway, Wolverine could see Moira and several members of her research team. They smelled uncertain, some scared, fuelled no doubt by the wary approach of Cyclops and the rest of the X-Men. Wolverine cast them resolutely from his mind. If all went well, he and Kristi would be leaving on the jet. If not, the island would most likely have three more inhabitants until they could get themselves a one-way ticket to the mainland.

Cyclops raised his hand to his visor as the feral moved within shouting distance. "That's far enough, Wolverine. You'll stop right there, if you know what's good for you."

Wolverine did so, spreading his arms in the universal sign of peace. "I haven't come ta fight, Red-Eye," he growled, his feral nature making his voice sound deep and gruff. "I came ta talk."

"You're feral." It wasn't a question.

Wolverine nodded, slowly. "An' you're as observant as ever," he snarled.

Jean snorted in amusement and Wolverine tossed her a quick glance. She smiled back at him, letting him know that she knew exactly what he was doing and encouraging him 100 per cent. Wolverine allowed his eyes to rove around the rest of the team before returning to Cyclops. With the exception of Jubilee and Gina, who were trying to edge around Xavier's wheelchair to get nearer, all seemed confused and tense, and Wolverine honestly couldn't blame them. Most of them had been witness to one of his feral rages at one time or another and were understandably cautious. The results hadn't been pretty.

Cyclops eased forward slightly, but his hand didn't leave his visor. "You've come to talk," he confirmed. He looked quickly back up the hill and then into the sky. "So where's Kristi?"

"Away," Wolverine responded. He gestured vaguely into the air.

"This is indeed most intriguing." Xavier wheeled forward slightly, freeing up Jubilee and Gina, who ran to the bottom of the ramp to join Scott and Jean. Common sense stopped them from going any further and putting themselves into the line of fire. "Scott has told me all about your and Kristi's new abilities, Wolverine, but I must admit I never expected this. You're totally feral, aren't you?"

Wolverine nodded slowly, recognising that control of the situation had now changed.

"What do you have to prove, Wolverine?" asked the Professor, softly. Use of the feral's codename acknowledged that he knew exactly who was in charge of the other X-Man's body.

"Ain't got nothin' ta prove, No-Legs." Xavier blinked at that. It seemed that Wolverine's feral nature saw things a little differently than the man. "Me an' Lifemate already know we can control this. Jus' seems that one or two o' the pack need some convincin'."

Xavier's eyes flicked to Cyclops. The X-Man still seemed tense, but his hand had dropped from his visor.

"I admire your creativeness, Wolverine, but it is not needed here." He gestured skywards. "Call Kristi in. We will talk together."

Wolverine nodded and rocked back onto one foot, folding his arms across his chest, defensively. Moments later, a golden streak across the sky announced Wildstar's imminent arrival. She landed gracefully beside her mate, immediately releasing her power.

Wolverine turned to her, catching her around the waist and pulling her close, rumbling softly in his chest to acknowledge her presence. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, re-affirming her scent. "Lifemate," he growled, in recognition.

Wildstar pressed a kiss to his forehead and then turned to face the team, Wolverine's arm around her waist a comforting weight. Several of her team-mates looked astounded at the feral's uncharacteristic behaviour, but Jubilee was tossing her a triumphant thumbs-up.

"You came to talk, Wolverine, so get on with it," snapped Cyclops, ignoring his fiancee's curt glance. "I'd like to go home sometime today."

Wolverine growled, irked by the X-Man's tone, but it was Kristi who answered, placing a hand on her mate's arm to calm him. "We know that some of you are less than enthusiastic about mine and Logan's new abilities." Wisely, she avoided naming names. "We wanted to show you that Wolverine is no danger to you when he's feral. It can be controlled. And _I_ can only access my starwave when we're linked. And I _can_ control it," she added, forcefully.

"If anyone has any issues about workin' alongside us, we're prepared ta leave the pack," Wolverine put in. He glared at Cyclops. "We'd rather not – we believe our new abilities could give the pack a creative edge – but jus' say the word, Red-Eye, an' I'll take my cub an' go."

"Cub?" inquired Xavier.

"Jubilee," growled Wolverine, in return.

The firecracker looked startled to hear her name mentioned, and in such a context. Slowly, she studied the faces of the people she'd come to know over the years and loved like a family, then calmly and decisively, she left their protective fold and joined Wolverine and Wildstar. She'd made her choice. If her mentor and best friend were leaving, she was going with them.

Wolverine once again rumbled his acknowledgment, before raising his head confidently to address the 'pack'. "It's your decision," he grated. "Say the word."

Cyclops threw up his hands in frustration. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Logan, this is ridiculous!" He crossed the remaining space between them to stand before the feral, trailing Jean and Xavier behind him. "I have no intention of letting you leave the team, Logan. You and Kristi are far too valuable to us to become loose cannons and …… well, I know you and I have had our differences in the past, but I like to think we've at least become friends of a sort even if we do rub each other up the wrong way most of the time. I won't lie and say that your new abilities don't scare me, because they do, but we've suffered power failures before and we've never allowed that person to go it alone. For better or for worse, we're all in this together and …… that means ……"

He faltered as Wolverine's eyes slowly changed from deepest black to their normal icy blue. He gasped. "Did you just do what I think you've just done?"

Logan grinned, showing a hint of pointed canine. "Yep."

"The pair of you planned all this, didn't you?" Jean was smiling, and she took her stunned fiance's arm, hugging it to soften the blow.

"We had to prove we can be trusted, Jean," replied Kristi, softly.

"There was never any question of that," responded Xavier, honestly. "But I appreciate the gesture."

"I just can't believe that you ……" Scott shook his head in bewilderment. "You do realise that Henry won't be able to keep his hands off the pair of you? He'll think Christmas had come early when he hears what you can do."

Logan looked pained and Xavier smiled. "Have no fear of that, Logan. If you wish, I will forbid Henry to carry out any tests. I respect your desire for privacy and I am sure you are perfectly capable of coming to terms with your abilities on your own. I am also equally confident that you _will_ ask for help should you so need it."

"Thanks, Chuck. I appreciate that."

Xavier nodded and turned his chair, beginning to lead the little group back towards the jet. Several team members were now drifting over to greet them, sensing that something momentous had just occurred and eager for details.

Jubilee capered along at Wolverine's side. The fact that he considered her as his 'cub' had surprised her, but somehow it all made perfect sense. She had always looked on the gruff feral as a surrogate father and that he thought of her as a daughter made her feel closer to him and his mate in ways she was now beginning to suspect would have far reaching consequences.

She slipped her hand into his, surprised and touched when he didn't pull away. "So, Wolvie. You an' Kristi can link, huh?"

Logan favoured her with a cool look. "Yeah."

"And when you link, you sorta become one mind?"

"Sorta. But there's more to it than that." Logan frowned, aware that Scott and the Professor were watching him closely. "What ya getting' at, kid?"

"Well, when you link, I think you should have another codename. Something to show that we're referring to you as a pair, rather than individuals. Something like …… Wolvstar!"

Logan stopped abruptly, pulling Jubilee around. Jean, walking behind him, almost ploughed into his back. "Over my dead body, kid!"

"Don't be such a prude, Logan. I kinda like it." Kristi took his arm and grinned up at her mate and Xavier actually laughed aloud at the feral's raised eyebrow.

Cyclops slapped him companionably on the shoulder. "Don't try to avoid it, Logan. I have a feeling the name will catch on."

"Yeah, an' I wonder why?" Logan growled as the young leader laughed and joined the rest of the team, leading them up the ramp into the jet. "God help me, I'm surrounded by mouthy kids, over-indulged bondmates an' a team leader who lives ta rile me."

As if to emphasise his point, Armor suddenly rushed back down the ramp, her face aglow with excitement. "Hey, Mr Logan! I love the new name! Wolvstar! Do we get to use it in training?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "Jeannie, it's time ta get yerself a new fella. The one ya've got is livin' on borrowed time ……"

_**FINIS**_

**NEXT: Smoke and Mirrors! **In which Kristi takes Logan home to meet the family, a former boyfriend causes tension, and an old enemy exacts revenge on Logan!!

**Author's Notes!** And so ends 'Shadows of a Dark Mind'! But fear not, because the story continues in the afore-mentioned 'Smoke and Mirrors'! Set just days after the X-Men's return to the mansion, it continues the story of our favourite feral and his mate, as Logan and Kristi learn more about their bond and come under threat from outside forces.

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to click on the little button at the bottom of the page and set up an Author Alert! You will then receive notification as soon as I upload the first chapter!

I hope you have all enjoyed reading 'Shadows of a Dark Mind' as much I have enjoyed writing it! I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind reviews and input and I hope you will all follow me on to the next adventure of our favourite heroes!

_**The saga continues ……**__**!**_


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